


Level 7

by TiffanyF



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: LMD, M/M, Possible Spoilers, ooc, season 1 as the ideas come to me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2017-12-28 00:32:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 110
Words: 110,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony finds out that Agent Coulson is alive and goes to tell the rest of the team, all of whom are shocked, expect Barton and Romanov. Why should they be? They're level 7 and know everything. There is a secret Barton is keeping from everyone, including Coulson. Don't own, don't claim, no money made here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, I have no clue if this is a one-shot or a chapter piece. It's an idea that came to me in the middle of the night after I'd taken cold medicine. Note the warnings. I'm going to do my best to avoid spoilers, but they could sneak in here.

The Avengers were sitting in the common room of Avengers' Tower watching the news when Tony came storming in from somewhere. Probably the lab, but there was no way to be certain of that. "Fury lied to us."

"This is news how?" Clint asked, looking back over the top of the sofa. "Fury lies like he breathes, Tony. You get used to it after a while."

"Coulson is alive." Tony said. "There's video of him all over the internet dodging explosions and being a bad-ass super hero. What the hell is going on? And why don't you and Natasha look more freaked out, Hawkeye?"

Barton shrugged. "Nat and I are level 7, Tony," he said. "We've known since just after the battle. Fury clued me in when I get back to base, and Nat the next morning, I think."

"Why didn't you tell the rest of us?" Steve asked. "I mean, he had to have been all alone in the hospital thinking no one cared about him. We could have at least sent flowers if we couldn't have gone in to see him."

"You're not level 7," Natasha said. "It's the elite force of SHIELD. Fury's strikeforce, if you will. Not even the WSC knows about it."

"So the whole super spy thing, you really are super spies," Tony said, sitting down. "You two have seen Agent? He's really okay?"

"As okay as he can be after being stabbed through the core of his body like he was," Barton said. He didn't show it, but inside he was squirming at the thoughts running wild in his mind. He hadn't made level 7 by giving the game away. "They're still watching him, but yeah, he's fully cleared to be back in the field. Fury put him on special assignment. Somehow I think video of him online wasn't in the play."

"Probably not," Natasha agreed. "You want to call it?"

"Yeah," Clint said. "Be back in a bit, guys." He pushed up and headed towards the elevator, already pulling out his cell phone. "Director Fury."

Tony watched him go. "I can't believe you guys didn't tell us about this," he said. "I thought we were a team and told each other everything."

"We are, but we don't," Natasha said. "No matter what you think, Tony, you don't need to know everything that's happening in the world. There are still secrets to be kept that don't concern you."

"Agent is my friend," Tony said. "I'd say that concerns me."

"You would have found out eventually," Natasha pointed out. "There was nothing you could have done before this, so you didn't need to know."

Bruce looked over from the book he was reading. "That's a bit cold, Natasha," he said.

"So am I," she said.   
***

Barton made sure he was secure on his floor in the room he'd set up so not even JARVIS would be able to overhear what was said in there. "Tony found the videos, Sir," he said. "He's upset."

"It was only a matter of time," Fury sighed. "I'd hoped for a little more time, Barton. What can you get me?"

"It depends on how much Tony pushes this. Rogers is upset we didn't tell him, but that's because he didn't get a chance to send flowers or let Phil know that we all care about him," Barton said. "Nat's up with them. I can leave in an hour, Sir."

Fury sighed. "They're touching down in D.C. at the landing strip there," he said. "Get on board and get me intel."

"Yes, Sir," Barton said. "How long do you want me to stay?"

"Three days. I want to know everything. I know how hard this is for you, Clint, but there's no one else I can trust to this," Fury said. "You know it's still Phil Coulson, right?"

Barton closed his eyes with a sigh. "Yes, Sir," he said. "I'm happy to have him back no matter what."

"Good. Now, go get me answers."


	2. Chapter 2

Barton sent a coded message to Natasha and threw some clothes into his pack. He grabbed his weapons kit and headed for his bike. Fury would send word to Agent May to hold the plane until Barton was on-board, but he didn't want to have to make them wait for him. Once he was clear of the worst traffic, Barton let his mind drift back to the day he'd seen Coulson in medical. He was hooked up to so many machines and looked like death would be there to take him at any moment.

"You know what we have to do, Clint," Fury said from behind him. "Medical doesn't think he'll hold out for much longer. We can't lose him, not now. Not when we need agents with his skills, knowledge, and connections the most. You're his medical proxy. Can you make this call for him?"

"Everything will be the same, right, Nick?" Barton asked softly. "He'll be there, all of him. He'll remember everything."

"They think so, it's the first time we've really tried this," Fury replied just as softly. "I know exactly what I'm asking you to sacrifice here, Clint. I know how hard this has to be, but if we don't do this, we lose him completely."

"I know. Do it," Barton said. "I'll risk losing him in my life, him forgetting things, to know he's still around. But I want a chance to talk with him before you send him back in the field, Nick. I want to know for sure if my lover is still there, or if I need to mourn that part of my life."

Fury nodded. "Agreed," he said. "This is classified at level 7, Clint. You can't tell the other Avengers."

"Understood," Barton said. "You'll tell Nat tomorrow?"

"I'll tell her that Coulson survived the attack, that I lied about medical calling it," Fury said. "I'd rather have her mad at me for that then risk information getting out where it shouldn't. You and I, along with May, will be the only ones that know about this, Clint." He motioned to the doctors to move in. "You don't want to watch this, Clint. Trust me on that one. Come on, let's go talk details in my office. You can come back when they're done."

"One second, Sir." Barton moved to the side of the bed and pressed a soft kiss against Coulson's cold lips. "I love you, Phil. Hope you remember that when you wake up again."  
****

Barton was the first person Coulson saw when he opened his eyes. "Clint?"

"Hey there, how do you feel?" Barton asked softly, taking his lover's hand. "You've been unconscious for a couple of months and through more surgeries than anyone has a right to. Except Frankenstein, of course."

"Are you calling me a monster?" Coulson asked.

"If the shoe fits," Barton replied. He leaned over and kissed Coulson softly. "How do you feel. Seriously."

"Sleepy. Sore. Stiff."

"So about normal for how long you've been in bed," Barton said. "Fury's talking about sending you to Tahiti. Think you can stand lying on beaches and swimming in the warm water while you're recovering?"

"Only if you're there with me."

"For a week or so, but then I'm back on assignment," Barton said. "It's all I could talk Fury into, and I tried every trick I knew to get more time off. He's had me training for the past couple of months, so I could be close to you. We've had a few call-outs for the Avengers, but nothing major. Never more than a day away."

Coulson blinked and nodded. "Sounds to me like there's a lot of I have to catch up on," he said. "How many people know I'm alive?"

"Level 7, Phil. Just us," Barton replied. "Fury has you classified at one of the highest levels right now. All of level 7 knows, but no one else."

"I can work with that," Coulson said. "Nick must have a reason for it, but he'll tell me in his own time. I'm sure it'll be something interesting."

"More interesting than gods and aliens and magic, Sir?" Barton teased.

"Probably, but not more interesting than an archer with awesome eyes," Coulson said. "I'm guessing no sex until I'm back from physio?"

"You guess correctly," Barton said. "I'm going to let the doctors poke and prod you to their content and report to the director. Be back before you know it."

"Okay."

Barton left medical, heart heavy in his chest, and made his way up to Fury's office. He ignored the secretary, a young woman that could take someone out faster than they could blink, and rapped three times on the closed door.

"Enter."

Barton slipped inside and shut the door behind him. "He's awake and all there, Nick," he said softly. "Everything looks good."

"Good, now let's keep it that way," Fury said.


	3. Chapter 3

Barton secured his bike next to Lola and patted the red hood fondly. He really liked the car, and knew every single surprise she had hidden under the flash red paint. Nodding to the guard, he made his way up the stairs to the main level and forward to the cockpit. "Permission to board, Captain?"

"Smartass archer," Melinda May replied with a smile. "Sit down and help me get this bird back in the air, Clint. Then you can go check on your husband, or whatever the hell you're calling yourselves these days."

"We haven't tied the knot yet, but I like the sound of husband," Barton grinned. He dropped his things behind the second seat and slid in, quickly looking over the control board. "God, it's been years since I've seen one of these. How's she fly?"

"Like a dream," May smiled. "You want to take her up?"

"Nah, I'll just watch for now," Barton said. "How's the team shaping up?"

May started to bring power online and made a general announcement they would be leaving in fifteen minutes, giving ground crew enough time to secure everything before the hatch closed. "Ward is good, but he's not you," she said. "I know why Fury has you not with us, but you'd be good here, Clint. You and Romanov would be better than Ward."

"Time to let the babies stretch their wings, Mel," Barton said. "Nat and I are helping to keep a super-soldier, a rage monster, and an ego-driven Stark in line. Trust me, I'd rather be out with you guys most days. I don't know how Phil did it without tazing someone."

"He had practice on you," she said. "The others will fall into line once they realize there's no boxes here. Phil has also picked up a stray, but I think she'll work well to bring Ward out of his shell. The man was allowed too many solo ops and never learned to play nice with others."

"Sounds familiar," Barton commented. "Phil should be right at home with all of this then. How's he doing?"

She glanced over. "He's doing good," she said. "He misses you, but that's not unexpected. I'm going to suggest to the Director that we're allowed to touch down near you at least every other week for Phil. It'll help."

"Thanks," Barton said. "There go the bay doors, we have everyone on-board?"

"We should, let's do roll-call and find out," May said with a grin. She turned on the intercom. "General call, everyone on-board?"

"All agents present and accounted for, Melinda," Coulson replied. "We've taken on our supplies and can leave whenever you're ready."

"Wheels up in five," May said. She turned off the com and glanced over at Barton. "I didn't tell him you were coming on, but he might have seen your bike."

"Nah, he'd be up here if he knew I was on-board," Barton said. "Now, do you really need me to help you get this beauty into the air or did you just want to talk?"

"Both," May said. "Strap in, Hawkeye. We're going to fly."  
****

"They're all in the ops room," May said once the plane was up in the air. "We're heading to an unknown situation after we pick up our new consultant."

"I'll go stow my gear and drop in on them," Barton said with a grin. He hopped up, kissed the top of her head, grabbed his bags and headed towards the stairs leading up to the personal rooms.

He was halfway up the stairs when he heard a voice behind him. "Hey, you can't go up there."

"Sure I can," he replied, hopping up the rest of the stairs and vanishing into Coulson's room before the other agent was halfway up the stairs. He'd never met Agent Ward in person, but it seemed like Ward didn't pay attention to people around SHIELD if he didn't know who Barton was. In a way, he was disappointed. So much for his reputation. He ducked into the closet and shut the door behind him. His ears picked up the sound of another man moving around in Coulson's room and grinned. It seemed like Ward wanted to play hide-and-seek. There was an access hatch in the closet. Barton could do that.

The crawl spaces in the plane were tiny, but not so much so that Barton couldn't use them to move around the plane a little. He slipped inside and shut the hatch silently, sealing his bags in as well. There was no reason to make it easy for Ward to find him. The man was just promoted to level 7, Barton wanted to be sure he deserved it. He lay quiet when the closet door was opened and the suits pushed roughly aside. That was a mark in the negative column, no respect for a nice suit. Barton grinned and pushed back into the main crawl space, heading for the ops room. Time for some fun.  
****

"Agent Ward," Coulson said when the other man burst into the ops room.

"We have an unauthorized man on-board, Coulson," Ward said. "I caught him going up to the sleeping quarters, but lost him."

Coulson looked up from his tablet. "You lost him," he said dryly. "In an enclosed space, you lost a man. How did this happen, Agent Ward?"

"I don't know," Ward said. "I chased him up the stairs as fast as I could, but he was gone when I reached the upper hallway. I checked all the rooms thoroughly, but there was no sign of him."

"It seems we need to bring you up to speed on a few things," Coulson sighed. "Agent Barton, report."

Ward jumped when Barton dropped down from the ceiling, landing neatly in front of Coulson. "You're no fun, boss," he said, pouting. 

"Hide-and-seek can wait, Barton. No terrorizing my new team," Coulson said. He glanced up at the hatch for the crawl space. "I thought you couldn't use those any more."

"I can get into small spaces, Sir, you know that," Barton grinned. He hopped up onto the table and latched the hatch closed again. "I think you should let them in on the secrets of the planes. May knew I was here and gave me permission to stow my gear."

"Why are you here? I thought you were on Avenger duty for the next few weeks," Coulson said.

"Yeah, about that. Tony found video of you in the train station looking all bad-ass," Barton said. "He told the team, so there's technically no reason we can't see more of you. Fury's not happy about it, but he agreed. Want to come to dinner?"

Ward was looking between them like he wasn't sure if he should say something or leave. "Agent Barton?" he finally said. "Hawkeye?"

"Yep, the one and only," Barton said. "Nice to meet you, Agent Grant Ward. We need to work on a few things, but you've got promise."

"Agent Ward, if you could give us a few minutes, please," Coulson said. "I need to debrief Agent Barton as to his mission."

"Sure, I'll go sit with Agent May for a bit then," Ward said.

Barton waited until the door was shut behind the other agent. "You just want to debrief me for my mission?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Coulson said. "My quarters, now."


	4. Chapter 4

Coulson moaned softly when his back hit the door to his quarters and Barton attacked his mouth. He groped for the lock and engaged it before sliding his hands up under Barton's black polo shirt. Coulson pulled back just long enough to push the shirt off completely and then kissed Barton again, opening his lover's mouth and tasting him. Barton moaned and carefully pushed the suit jacket off, catching it before it hit the floor. The suit jacket was placed on the hanger near the door before Barton attacked the tie and buttons of Coulson's shirt. In his mind, he was chanting 'it's Phil, it's still Phil' because the taste was wrong. So many things were right. The strange habits were still there. The love of coffee ice cream still there. All his memories about his life, his favorite foods, authors, music, movies. Even his taste for bad television shows. There were so many things right about the man currently trying to touch every inch of Barton's mouth, but taste wasn't one of them.

It had been an impossible decision. The Life Model Decoys were something that were classified at the highest level. Stark knew about them. He'd been the one to invent them, wrote all the code for what basically was an android, but he didn't know that SHIELD moved so far forward with the project. That there was an LMD in the middle of one of the most important ops SHIELD was running at that moment. Barton had faced the choice; transfer his lover into a robotic body or lose him forever. That it worked was a miracle. That Coulson could never know what happened to him was a given. The science team was at a loss how to give an android a sex drive. Barton insisted. He believed that his lover was strong enough to come through everything and out the other side with flying colors. Coulson believed he'd been in Tahiti. He'd been through rehab and physio and brought back to head up a new strike force. 

In reality, he'd been in the lab, his body worked on until it was as human as possible. It broke Barton's heart that he couldn't tell his lover the truth, but the science teams believed that if Coulson learned what happened to him, he'd shut down, essentially die, from shock. Barton couldn't risk losing him a second time. As he slid to his knees, Barton reminded himself again that he was with his lover. The only difference was the taste. He could handle the missing tastes. He still had Coulson at his side. It would have to be enough for him.  
****

"So, how did the Avengers take it?" Coulson asked later when they were laying tangled in the bed sheets.

"Tony's shocked and hurt. Bruce thinks Nat's too cold. Steve wanted to send you flowers," Barton said. He pressed a kiss to the skin near his mouth. "I didn't really hang out long after Tony came storming in, so I don't know how well they all took it. I had to let Fury know they'd found out. Nat stayed to keep them under control."

Coulson sighed. "It wasn't how I wanted them to find out," he said. "I, well, I guess in a way I hoped they never would. That I would remain the cause they came together for."

"Well, if you hadn't gone into a train station after a guy about to blow up, you wouldn't have been revealed," Barton pointed out. He pulled Coulson over on top of him and nipped at his neck. "We've done reunion sex. Now how about you do glad to be alive sex and pound me, Phil?"

"We've been over this, Clint. I'm not as young as I used to be," Coulson said. He leaned down and kissed Barton, tongue sweeping into his lover's mouth again. "I am glad he didn't blow up."

"Me too," Barton said. He snaked a hand down and wrapped it around Coulson, stroking gently. "I almost lost you once, Phil. I don't know what I would do if I lost you forever."

Coulson sighed. "It might happen, Clint," he said. "I should also tell you to stop that."

"Make me," Barton grinned. "I want to not be able to sit down at dinner, Phil. That way everyone knows you're taken and I won't have to worry about anyone trying anything. You're too handsome for your own good, Phil, and I want them to know I'm lucky enough to have you as mine."

"Sweet-talker," Coulson said. He pushed back and grabbed the lube. "I don't know how you do this to me, Clint." He coated his erection and pushed back into his lover's body. "Glad to be alive, you said?"

Barton groaned when he was stretched and filled again. "Not able to sit down," he said. "Love you, Phil."

Coulson pulled back a little and thrust forward sharply. "Hang on then, Clint. I never have been able to tell you no."


	5. Chapter 5

Barton ignored May smirking at him when he stayed leaning up against the wall when the team gathered in the dining area. He just crossed his arms over his chest and put on his best sniper face, which was fairly terrifying to look at if the reactions of Fitz and Simmons was any indication. Coulson glanced back and shook his head fondly. "No terrorizing the new team," he said. "Everyone, this is Agent Clint Barton, codename Hawkeye. He's currently attached to the Avengers. No, you cannot have his autograph, you ask at your own risk. There is a reason people are scared of marshmallows at New York headquarters. I suggest you ask them before you even think about it."

"What's he doing here?" Ward asked. "I mean, if he's attached to the Avengers, shouldn't he be at his posting?"

"Director Fury has the option to move his people as he wishes," Coulson said. "Now that video of my continued life has reached the Avengers, you can expect to see them at random times. Very likely unexpected times as well, especially Barton and Agent Romanov. A word of advice with Agent Romanov. If she is doing something, let her do it. You don't want to know what it feels like if you try to stop her."

May snorted and covered her mouth quickly. Barton grinned. "Romanov and I move at the Director's direction, Agent Ward," he said. "If you need to know about it, we'll tell you. Otherwise, just ignore us. We're probably here for another reason."

"As is the case this time," Coulson said. "We're heading into an unknown situation and Director Fury wants an unbiased report on how well we handle ourselves in the field. Agent Barton is here to assess, assist and report back on our team. That means he'll be speaking with each of you. I suggest you don't lie to him, but that's your choice. Now then, we are going to take a look at the limited intel we do have, if you would put your plates in the disposal and meet me in the ops room, please. I think it's time for us to look over what we might be getting into. Melinda, you'll get us on the ground?"

"I could use a second," May said.

"Barton."

"On it, boss," Barton said with a grin.  
****

"What do you think?" May asked when they were back up in the cockpit area.

"He's holding up well," Barton replied softly. "Better than he has any right to be, considering how badly he was injured." He paused and held up a hand. "Tahiti must have agreed with him, Mel."

"To hear him talk about it, he's ready to retire there," May said. She nodded and moved to the side.

Barton opened the door and grabbed Agent Ward by his tie, pulling the other man into the cockpit. "You need to work on moving quietly and not breathing so heavily," he said, using a foot to pin Ward to the floor. "This really got you marks almost as high as Nat? I'll have to mention that Hill's lowering her standards. What's your game, Ward?"

"I want to know the real reason you're here," Ward said.

"Just what Coulson told you," Barton said. "I'm here to make sure the team is all playing nice together. Reports are one thing, Fury likes eyes on his projects when he can get them. I've got the best eyes in SHIELD. What's the real issue you have with me, Ward? You thinking about making a play for Coulson and you're upset he's taken?"

May snorted into her hand again and turned her focus back to the plane. Ward went pale. "What? No! I don't even like guys," he said.

"That's good, because he's mine," Barton said, eyes flashing. "I've learned to play nice with others, Ward, but there are some things I won't tolerate. You're still learning, so I'll cut you some slack, but get this through your thick skull. You will never be able to sneak up on me, and I don't like people spying on my business. I'm here for Director Fury, so if you spy on me, it's spying on him, and he takes a dimmer view of that than I do. Get up and get your sorry ass down to the ops room before Coulson comes looking for you."

Barton shut the door behind the younger agent and sighed. "He's going to be trouble, Mel. I just hope he behaves out in the field because, right now, I'm not impressed."

"You were less prickly than he is when you first came in, Clint," she said.

He slipped into the co-pilot chair with a sigh. "I knew how to fake it," he said. "I'll talk with Phil about it tonight. Now, where are you taking us?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Do I want to know what you plan to do with those?" Coulson asked when he caught Barton with four water balloons.

"Probably not, boss," Barton replied with a grin. "Mel says we have eight hours until touchdown so I thought I'd start on my mission while you guys are still prepping for yours."

Coulson sighed. "Clint, keep in mind that I do have to work with Agent Ward," he said. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't traumatize him too much."

"I won't do anything he doesn't deserve," Barton said. He kissed his lover and headed back down the hall, balloons in a bag over his shoulder.

Coulson shook his head and headed into the ops room. "All right, time to talk about what little we do know," he said, looking at his team. "This last case we were too slow getting information and intel on what we needed. That has to change. I don't want to risk lives like that again. Skye, that means that you're going to have to prove that you really can get us into whatever system we need to be in. If you can't, I have someone that can and you won't like the new posting you have."

"Oh, like what, you'll kill me if I can't keep your need for information satisfied?" she asked.

"You really need to stop watching spy movies," Coulson replied. "I'll take you to the SHIELD base in New York and post you there as a janitor with no access to tech until you learn that to be a consultant to SHIELD means to anticipate not react. Am I understood? Fitz, Simmons, you came through in the end, but it was too close. You need to work faster and lose the mindset that it can't be done. It can be done. It can be done quickly and it can be done right. You will fail, that's expected, but the only way you'll be in trouble with me is if you let that failure blind you to a possible success."

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Melinda, I am sorry for what happened last time," Coulson said. "I really do need you to drive the bus for me."

"I'll do what needs to be done, Phil," she said with a small smile. "You can just expect to hear about it in detail whenever we're back on base."

He grinned. "I can live with that. Now then, Agent Ward, you need to open up and learn to trust the team or you will never be a full member," Coulson said. "You will be forever on the outside looking in as the rest of us grow closer and leave you behind."

"I'm sorry I have trust issues with the man that drugged me instead of our captive," Ward said. "What the hell?"

"You learn more with your mouth shut," Barton commented from the vent. 

"Water balloon?" May asked, looking up at the ceiling. "Really, Hawkeye?"

"They could be paint," Barton said, dropping one down to her. "Maybe the rest are. Later."

Ward wiped water out of his eyes. "Coulson, what the hell is your boyfriend doing here anyway?"

"Boyfriend?" Skye squeaked. 

"My relationship with Agent Barton is none of your concern," Coulson said. "He is here to assess and evaluate our performance as a team. Right now, I have to agree with him. We're an argument and that's not acceptable. I understand that it will take time for trust to grow, but I need to know you all have your head in the game before we touch down."  
****

"You're not helping anything," Coulson commented as he slid into bed next to his lover later that night. 

"I don't like Ward," Barton said. "There's something about him that just doesn't sit right with me, Phil. Oh, I don't doubt he's good, he's posted too many successful missions for him to not be good, but there's still something."

Coulson rolled onto his side and reached out, fingers tracing along Barton's face softly. "I know, and I agree," he said. "But he's the best I could get with you and Natasha both assigned to the Avengers."

"He tried to sneak up on me in the cockpit when I was talking with Mel. I don't know if he was letting me hear him or if he's getting sloppy, Phil," Barton said. He leaned into the touch with a soft sigh. "I've missed you."

"Missed you too. I wish you could have stayed in Tahiti with me longer," Coulson said. "It's such a magical place, Clint. We'll have to go back when we both can get a week off."

"That's not likely to happen any time soon," Barton grinned. "I'm here for two more days, Phil, and then I'll pop up when you're least expecting it. Nat will too."

"Stark is likely to track me down too, isn't he?"

"I think Steve would have to sit on him to keep him home," Barton said. "It's happened before. I've got video. I think you and Pepper are the only two that have half a chance of keeping Tony under control, Phil. I'll have to show you the video tomorrow."

Coulson smiled. "I'm looking forward to it," he said.


	7. Chapter 7

"An 084, Phil, really?" Barton asked, dropping down from the ceiling. "Bit tough for a first real assignment, don't you think?"

"I do, but it needs to be checked," Coulson replied. "It'll be a good chance for you to watch us and be able to make an unbiased report back to Director Fury on how the team is working together."

Barton sighed. "I think, this is just my opinion right now, that a couple of them are expecting me to go back to Fury and axe them."

"Then that just shows they haven't heard your reputation. You'd arrow them," Coulson said.

"You and your jokes," Barton said fondly. "There are days, Phil, when I wonder if you ever dared tell jokes to new agents."

"Of course not. I'm the bland suit in the background. I'm the one they're not supposed to notice, remember?"

"Sorry, you're so bland, I forgot you're here," Barton said. He kissed Coulson's nose fondly. "So, I uploaded a video for you to watch from the Tower. Do you want to see it now or when I'm patching you up from your 084?"

Coulson smiled. "I'd love to see it now," he said. "I can't believe you actually have video from the Tower. How did you manage this."

"JARVIS and I are bros," Barton said. "He likes me."

"I didn't think he liked anyone other than Stark."

"You have to give him a chance, and not overwrite his protocols."

"Touche."

Barton pulled up a file on the table and flicked it up into the air. "Tony's been redecorating, so you probably won't recognize this as the main floor common area. It's also where the Hulk owned Loki during the battle."

"He did?"

"I'll bring that video next time," Barton said. "Here you go."

The video came alive and an argument was clear in the background. "You are not going to wire any type of explosive to the walls, Tony," Steve was saying. "I don't care if you own the Tower, the block it sits on, or all of this area, explosives do not belong inside and they certainly don't belong inside when you're in the middle of a city."

"Yeah, but it's the Forth of July, Cap. You know, your birthday," Tony said. "These aren't explosives as much as they're just slightly bigger sparklers that will add a certain punch to the whole celebration. Totally safe, won't start any fires. What is there in here close to the walls to burn anyway? It's all slate and concrete. Come on, it'll be fun."

"No, it won't," Steve said. He appeared in the video carrying a box of tubes of some sort. "It especially won't be fun when you don't tell Bruce what's going on and the Hulk shows up in the middle of the day. You know he's trying to keep the Hulk out of the Tower as much as possible."

"That last time wasn't my fault," Tony said. He reached around, trying for the box and yelped when his hand was swatted away. "You did not just swat me like a five-year-old reaching for the last cookie."

"If you're going to act like a five-year-old then that's how I'll treat you," Steve said. He continued across to the elevator and went in when the doors opened. "No explosives of any kind in the Tower, Tony. I'm serious."

"You're no fun is what you are," Tony said. "JARVIS, order some more sparklers for me."

"Are you sure that's wise, Sir?" JARVIS asked.

"Come on, JARVIS, you know it'll be fun," Tony said with a grin.

Barton paused the video and glanced over at Coulson. "Tony managed to set up his inside firework display. The Hulk didn't show, but he spooked both me and Nat."

"How big a hole did you blow in the wall?" Coulson asked.

"Not that big," Barton muttered. "Come on, Phil, you know I don't like fireworks. Especially if I don't know they're coming."

"I know," Coulson said. He wrapped an arm around Barton's waist. "It looks like Steve is doing good keeping things in order at the Tower, even if it is a losing battle with Tony there. How are you and Natasha holding up."

"We're managing," Barton said. "It's a different world from SHIELD, but at the same time, it's kinda fun. I can be myself and no one cares."

"Good. I'm glad you're feeling safe there. I wish things had worked out differently, Clint."

Barton pulled Coulson into a tight hug. If only Coulson knew how much Barton wished the same thing.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know I normally take Wednesday and Thursday off from updating because I'm not at work and I use my days off to work on my original pieces. However, today I received an extremely hateful email telling me to take a break and quit spamming the Clint/Coulson page with my works to give people who don't read my work a break, and to let others have a chance. I reported them to the AO3 team, but I'm an extremely contrary person. I'm updating straight through because I can.
> 
> I give huge hugs to all my readers. You all give me the energy to keep writing. Thank you all for your support. Know that no matter how sad I am from this email, I'm not quitting.

"Where's Agent Barton?"

"Agent Barton is not your concern, Agent Ward," Coulson said as May pulled out and headed into the jungle of Peru. "Your concern is the 084 and the situation we're heading into. You know the political situation of this country as well as I do. It'll be your job to help keep the team safe."

May glanced over, but didn't say anything. Coulson knew that May knew exactly where Barton was and wasn't going to say anything. The friendship between the pair wasn't unexpected given how closely Coulson and May worked when Barton was first assigned to Coulson as an asset. Coulson settled in to enjoy the ride and to think over his decision to bring Skye onto the team. It was risky, he knew that, but at the same time she was a link back to the Rising Tide. He knew more than she realized he did. Her talents were impressive, yes, but Coulson had his own people. He didn't take chances, never had, never would.

"Agent Coulson, I know this is an 084, but do you have any idea what we might be looking at?" Simmons asked from the back seat.

"Not a clue, other than it's something that shouldn't be here," Coulson replied. "I'm depending on you and Fitz to figure out what it is and how we're going to contain it."

"Wait, we're taking it with us?" Skye asked.

"We are either taking it with us or containing it on site until an extraction team arrives," Coulson replied. "Given the situation surrounding us, taking it with us is the more likely option."

May pulled to a stop and glanced over at Coulson. He nodded and got out along with the rest of the team, heading towards the temple. May told the team it was too open and got back into the car. "You can come out now, Clint," she said.

Barton appeared from under the middle seat. "Kids always asking questions, huh," he said with a grin. "I'm going high over the SUV, Mel. Trouble comes, I want to be close so I don't get left behind."

"We're on the same page then," she said with a small smile. "There's tension in the air, Clint. I think we won't be alone here for long. People gossip. The government and the rebels will both want something that has the potential to help them. Be on your guard."

"Always am. I learned from the best, after all."

She nodded and parked. "Bow?"

"Sniper rifle. I don't want to announce to anyone that Hawkeye is in country unless I have no choice," Barton said.

"Be safe."

"You too."

Barton assembled his rifle and headed up into one of the trees, giving him an overview of the area. He didn't like how blocked he was, that he couldn't have eyes on Coulson the whole time. It made him far more nervous than he wanted to admit. The LMDs were designed to take more abuse than a human body, but could still be damaged by bullets or gunfire. The idea was to make people think the LMDs were real people, right up until the point they were cut open or blown apart. Barton knew that he would have to trust the new team Coulson had chosen to surround himself with, but it wasn't easy. It was Barton's job to watch his lover's back in the field, and he wouldn't ever be fully comfortable with anyone else doing it. No one had eyes to match his.

The arrival of the government troops wasn't a surprise, but Barton had to work not to shoot Camilla Reyes. He knew that Coulson had a relationship with the woman back when he'd been posted to Peru for an intel mission before Barton was brought into SHIELD, but that didn't mean he had to tolerate the way she was pawing at his lover. Barton hadn't gotten to where he was by being rash, so he watched and waited. When the rebels attacked, he frowned a little. It was too pat. Too much of a set-up. He took out three before Ward did the rest with a fairly good move. Barton slid back down the tree and was back under the seat when May arrived. "I'm in, go."

"Hold on."

"This screaming at you?" Barton asked softly.

"Louder than the injured in that field," she replied.


	9. Chapter 9

Barton waited until everyone was on the upper level of the plane before he crawled out of his hiding place and headed for the crawl spaces. He didn't like anything that was happening, up to and including Coulson taking Camilla to see his collection up in his office. With a look around, Barton grabbed a couple of bags he'd stashed in Lola - the one place only Coulson would find them - and tossed them up before he vanished into the guts of the plane. Time to watch and wait. 

That the team was an argument wasn't even a question. Barton closed his eyes with a sigh when Coulson walked in and everyone started complaining. He thought it might be possible for him to bang a few heads together, if Coulson would let him. He left one of the bags over the lab and headed up, knowing that Coulson's office would be where he needed to be watching. There was something seriously wrong, and Barton never ignored his sniper instincts. They'd kept him alive far longer than anything else.

Watching Phil with his collection, hearing how passionate he was about it always made Barton smile. His lover hadn't lost anything in the transfer, he still remembered every single piece of his very extensive collection. Barton pulled a gun R&D had just finished for him and waited. 

"I don't remember you being this forward," Coulson said, putting the watch back on the stand. 

"We have three hours to kill. We can make some more memories," Camilla said.

Coulson stood and crossed to her. "We just have to wait until Ward realizes that you're people are a danger and that he has twenty seconds to get to May before they do," he said. "Why?"

"The artifact will allow us to put our country back together the way it should be," she said, pulling out a gun.

"I can't let you take it," Coulson said.

"You don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice, Camilla."

Barton dropped down from the ceiling, knees holding him in place like he was back on the trapeze in the circus. He pressed the gun to the back of her head. "I can shoot faster than you can, bitch," he said. "It won't kill you, Agent Coulson would frown on that, but you'll never move again. Drop it. Now."

"Your team is in danger," Camilla said.

"The team can take care of themselves," Barton said. "Last chance."

"Let me have the gun, Camilla," Coulson added. "It's over."

"It's not over until we have the artifact."

Coulson dodged right and Barton fired. The gun didn't fire bullets, but a type of needle that traveled down Camilla's spinal column, severing everything as it went. She fell to the ground and lay still. "You clear, Sir?" Barton asked.

"Clear."

The sound of a battle came from below them. "It sounds like the team isn't coming together quite as well as you hoped they would, Phil."

"Give them a chance," Coulson said. "That's a new gun."

"R&D has been hard at work for other options because bullets don't always work on the super beings," Barton said, handing it over. "This is one they came up with that they wanted field tested. She's paralyzed, Phil. Still, she's alive."

"Just goes to show that the past is best left behind you," Coulson said. They both adjusted as the plane lurched. "The enemies have May."

Barton looked over at his lover. "Trial by fire, Phil?"

"You go forward and make sure everything is clear," Coulson said. "Do not engage unless you have no choice. I really do want the team to work their way through this. They need to learn to trust each other."

"I'll stay undercover unless the new pilot looks to be trying to kill us." Barton kissed his lover. "What about her?"

"I'll make sure she's secure before I go down," Coulson said. "Be careful, Clint. They don't know you're here. I'd like to keep it that way. The team won't come together if they think you're coming to the rescue."

"I promise you won't see me until it's over with, boss."

"Holding you to that."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally stealing the dialogue from the episode last night between Fury and Coulson. Because it's full of win and belongs in here. Not mine, don't claim it. Just borrowing the awesomeness.

"You know, blowing a hole in the side of the plane is a bit much," Barton commented, standing next to his lover once they were on the ground and the enemy agents were taken into custody. "This was really the only thing they could think of?"

"I had hoped for something a little less destructive, but you have to admit it did have the element of surprise behind it," Coulson replied. "You heading out?"

Barton grinned. "Director Fury is en-route to speak with you about a few things. I'm riding back with him."

"I wish you didn't have to go, Clint."

"I'll see you next week. Fury gave the okay for you guys to land in New York so you can come see the Avengers and let Tony bitch at you for a day."

Coulson winced. "I'm really in trouble, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you really are," Barton said. He kissed Coulson's temple softly. "You wouldn't be you if you weren't."

"I suppose so, but I had hoped to go a little longer before exposing the team to Director Fury's presence," Coulson said. "Roughly how long until he's here?"

"Two hours. He wants to wait until the rocket is up," Barton said. He glanced at his watch. "Speaking of, go see to your team. I'm going to watch from the stairs and flick spitballs at Ward if he tries to trash talk me again."

"Behave."

"No." Barton kissed his lover again and headed out. Coulson shook his head with a fond smile and headed for the stairs. He did want to check in with his team and see how they were doing. It wasn't easy having such a clash of personalities, but they were starting to show there was a chance to understand and work together. He wasn't fond of trial by fire, but there were worse ways to come together as a team. As the Avengers had proved.  
****

"Really, Coulson, really?" Fury demanded. "Six days. It really only took you six days to turn a state of the art piece of equipment into scrap?"

"The team acted with my authority, Sir."

"Don't talk to me about authority," Fury said. "Do you know how much this plane cost? It's got a bar." His voice turned wistful. "A really nice one. Talking to me about authority. You know I have the authority to downgrade your ass to a Winnebago."

"I'm aware of that, Sir," Coulson said, looking more like a schoolboy being scolded for breaking the cookie jar than a high-ranking SHIELD agent.

"Well I want it fixed just like you found it," Fury continued. "So don't have FitzSimmons going and making modifications like a damn fish tank."

"Yes, Sir."

Fury started past Coulson but paused and lowered his voice. "And the new girl, she's a risk."

"I know, Sir," Coulson said, lips barely moving.

"You know, Sir," Fury said. He eyed Coulson for another minute and then walked off. "How's Lola?"

"She's fine, Sir, thank you for asking," Coulson said.

"Talking to me about authority," Fury muttered as he stalked back towards the stairs.

Barton, who had been hiding in the crawl space the whole time was the only one that heard Coulson say they would have to lose the fish tank.  
****

Fury waited until they were in the air before he looked over at Barton. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Skye is a risk, Sir," Barton replied. "More so than anyone believes. I took the chance to hack into her computer and she's still in touch with the Rising Tide. She's not stupid enough to have anything compromising on there, but I believe she needs to be watched."

"You told Coulson?"

"I did, Sir."

"Good," Fury said. "Agent May believes that seeing you every other week will help keep Coulson happy. How willing are you to travel for that, Barton?"

Barton looked over. "Try and keep me away from him, Sir."

"Everything okay between you?"

"Looking for details, Sir?"

"Barton."

"We're fine, Nick," Barton said softly, glad they were on the Director's private plane where no one would be able to overhear them. "It still throws me at the oddest times, but I won't let on that anything is wrong. It's as you reminded me. It's Phil. Everything but the case is him."

Fury studied him for a long moment. "You understand why we can't tell him."

"I do, but it doesn't mean I have to like it," Barton said. "You know that letting him near Tony is a risk, Sir. It's possible he'll work it out."

"We'll have to make sure that he doesn't," Fury said. "Understood."

"Crystal, Sir."


	11. Chapter 11

"And where have you been, Hawkeye?" Tony asked when Clint reappeared in the common room in the Tower. "You missed all the fun."

Barton looked at Natasha and raised an eyebrow. She shook her head and shrugged. He nodded. "I'll survive," he said to Tony, sitting down. 

"I wish I could figure out how you two do that," Steve said. "It would be so helpful in the field. How's Agent Coulson, Clint?"

"He's fine," Barton said. "His new team is another matter, but they're about to the point that we were just before I destroyed the Helicarrier to free Loki."

Natasha swatted the back of his head. "That wasn't you, idiot," she said, for what felt like the millionth time. "That was magic, and monsters, and nothing we were ever trained for."

"I know, Nat," he said.

"So the team is arguing more than they're working," Bruce said, leaning forward.

"They were, before they were taken hostage in their own plane and had to fight their way free," Barton said. "I have to agree with Director Fury that blowing a hole in the side of the plane while the plane was up at about 34,000 feet was a bit much, but it certainly did surprise the hostiles."

"Everyone survived?" Natasha asked.

"Two hostiles went out the hole before it was sealed," Barton replied. "All of ours are fine. Shaken, but fine. You'll all have a chance to meet them next week. Director Fury is letting them touch down here for resupply and they'll be coming to see us. Tony, you should know that one of them is a consultant and also a fan."

"Is she cute?" Tony asked.

"What would Pepper say if she heard you asking that?" Natasha commented.

Tony shrugged. "She'd swat me on the head and sigh. Pepper is used to me, Natasha. You should be too, by now, you know."

"When you get like this, Stark, I just remind myself how many masks you wear," she said. "Almost as many as Clint and I do. You don't have to hide with the team, you know. We care for you as you are."

"Maybe some day," Tony said. "Agent is coming home you said, Clint? We need to plan a welcome back from the dead party for him."

"No fireworks," Steve said, before Tony could get any farther.

"No, I learned my lesson there," Tony said, glancing at Barton. "What would Agent like, Birdy?"

"A quiet dinner and a chance to talk with all of you to be sure you're okay after the battle," Clint said. "This new team is skittish enough, Tony. I think you'll get along with FitzSimmons pretty well though. They're the science team for his new team."

Steve looked over. "One person with two names or two people with one name?"

"It's complicated," Barton said. "There's two people, two agents, but they can only work as a team and have their own shorthand, so we just call them FitzSimmons."

"Sweet," Tony grinned. "Bruce, we can get their input on some projects, show them around Candyland. It'll be fun and let the others talk business."

"Why do I feel like this is all a very bad idea," Steve sighed, rubbing his head.

"Probably because it is," Clint said. "Still, it can only be worse than we're expecting it to be, Cap. Now then, I'm dead on my feet. See you all for breakfast."

"Hey Legolas, you never said what you did during the fight," Tony called after him.

"Just what Fury wanted me to do," Barton said. "I saw everything. Night."


	12. Chapter 12

"How is he really?" Natasha asked, appearing on Clint's floor like she always did when he'd been on a solo mission.

"Tired," Clint replied. "He came back too soon, Nat, but other than tying him to a desk somewhere only level 7 agents would see him, I don't know what else Fury could have done." He flopped onto his bed with a sigh. "It's going to be hard, having him in the field with a team that I don't trust."

Natasha perched at the foot of his bed. "Tell me."

"Ward is a Specialist that they never trained to be a real part of a team. He's ranked high in everything but people skills," Barton said. "There's potential, but he's got a guard up around him, Nat. It's huge and it's not coming down easily. Phil said that Ward is the best he could get with both of us stationed here."

"He's us in one body," she said.

"Our people skills are better," Clint grinned. "Mel is there."

"Good. She'll help keep Coulson in line," Natasha said. "I would worry if he didn't have one of his old friends there with him, and it will be good for Mel to get out into the field again. She's still hurting badly, but won't let anyone help her."

Clint nodded. "She was okay with me. Maybe you could talk with her a bit when they come to see us next week."

"Of course."

"FitzSimmons is the same as always," Barton continued with a fond smile. "They're both a little more shell shocked because neither of them has been in the field before and they're going through things that they never even imagined. Holding up well though, I think that Phil's going to be able to show them the world outside the lab is just as crazy as the one they created for themselves inside the lab."

"Last person?"

"Active member of the Rising Tide. Hacker. Hell Nat, she got into our systems twice using just her laptop," Barton sighed. "I think that Phil's thinking about what I would be thinking right about now."

"Better to have her close and a risk than inaccessible and a danger."

"The easier to kill her if need be, yep. When I left, I heard Mel and Ward talking about training Skye, that's the hacker, as a field agent," Barton said. "I think that Mel's suspicious, but she's driving the bus and isn't with the team a lot. Ward, I don't know. I overheard every argument they made to Phil about why he shouldn't let Skye be a member of the team, but Phil had already anticipated every one of them."

Natasha shifted into a better position with a sigh. "There are many that would say bringing me in was a risk," she said. "It's possible that Skye can be brought around to our side and help us beat the Rising Tide from the inside."

"That could also be part of Phil's plan," Barton said. "I don't see why not, it's an obvious move, if taken correctly."

"So we're going to be watching this team closely, right?" Natasha asked.

"Of course. I have permission to see Phil at least once a week," Barton replied. "Mel's the only one that likes me, right now anyway, but I'm sure I'll grown on them as time passes."

"Barton, remember what I've said in the past."

"I'm friendlier than mold, Nat."

"Most of the time. If you feel one of the team is a threat to your lover, you will act."

"They threaten Phil, Nat, then they deserve to meet the real Hawkeye," Clint said. "It'll probably be the last meeting they ever have too."

She nodded. "I think I'll make my position on this whole affair clear early when they come next week," Natasha said. "Just so they know where they stand with me."

"Remind me to stock up on tissues then," Barton said. "You know that Fury wants us to behave, Nat."

"I will behave. I'll just make sure they know that Phil Coulson is my friend, and no one hurts my friends and lives to tell about it," she said. "Then I'll offer them a drink."

"JARVIS, you will be recording all of this, right?" Clint asked.

"Of course I will, Agent Barton."

"Good, because Fury might want to know why some of his agents are suddenly having heart attacks," Clint said.


	13. Chapter 13

"So I have to ask, where was Agent Barton during that fight?" Ward asked. He glanced up at the ceiling as if he was expecting a water balloon to fall out of it and hit him. "We certainly could have used his help if he's as good as they say he is."

Coulson didn't look up from the tablet he was working with in the ops room. "Would you like me to set up a sparring contest between the two of you, Agent Ward?" he asked. "I'm sure that Barton would be happy to take you on at any time. Just make sure you have a second for the fight because Agent Romanov would be there as well and she doesn't always like to be on the sidelines."

May coughed and covered her mouth. Ward looked over at her. "What, you think I can't take Agent Barton?"

"No, I know you can't," May said. "You wouldn't be able to take Romanov either, and you're probably very attached to your legs."

"Good point, Melinda," Coulson said with a quick grin. "Agent Ward, we do not have to justify a member of Level 7's actions to anyone other than Director Fury. I'm sure you heard his views on the methods you chose to eliminate the threat to our team and our plane."

"I think the neighbors heard his opinions on it," May said. "Let me answer this one, Coulson?"

"Be my guest."

"Ward, Barton was backing up Coulson, who was in the most trouble at the time," May said. "Once the threat against Coulson was neutralized, Barton went forward to be sure that the plane wasn't turned into a weapon of any sort. There are few aircraft in SHIELD that Barton isn't qualified to fly."

"I try to keep him out of the helicopters," Coulson muttered absently. "Especially the stealth ones."

May coughed again and continued. "Barton's role here wasn't to engage, it was to observe. He broke protocol once to help Coulson," she said. "Otherwise he watched and you can be sure that he has already reported back to Director Fury about everything he saw during this mission."

"Everything?" Ward asked.

"You didn't wonder how those three rebels suddenly dropped dead?" May asked. "Barton was in the field with us, just in a location of his choice."

"You were helping him," Ward said. "You said that the clearing was too open and you were going to park somewhere else, but you were moving the SUV so Barton could climb out of it."

"What's your real issue with Agent Barton?" Coulson asked, looking up suddenly. 

"What?"

"Ever since he appeared the first time, you've been acting like a spoiled brat trying to get my attention," Coulson said. "Barton even commented on it. You say that you don't like men sexually, and even if you did, I'm afraid that I'm taken."

"God, what is it with you two?" Ward demanded. "Not everyone wants to sleep with you, Coulson."

"Debatable," May muttered.

Coulson looked over at her and his lips twitched a little. "Agent Ward, I think that you're jealous," he said, putting the tablet down. "Though whether it's Barton's personal or professional reputation I can't say."

"Barton's been with SHIELD a long time," May said. "He's done a lot of things that make people question his loyalty. Even when he was held hostage by an insane alien bent on taking over the world, Barton was still loyal to SHIELD on the molecular level."

"That's not possible," Ward said.

"I could have FitzSimmons explain it to you," May said.

"No, thank you," Ward said quickly. "I don't have a problem with Agent Barton."

"That's good news because we're going to Stark Tower for a party in a couple of days," Coulson said. "As soon as we can get the bus back in the air, we're cleared to go visit the Avengers. Just don't tell Skye. She'd probably spontaneously combust at the thought of being that close to Stark. He's not as charming as the media makes him seem."

May looked over. "You just don't like him because he lied to you."

"I think that's a good enough reason to doubt someone, Melinda," Coulson said.


	14. Chapter 14

"I'll give Pepper this, she was certainly able to keep Tony in line better than we would've been able to," Barton commented, looking around the common area of the Tower. "That lady has class."

"She scares me a little," Steve admitted. "And I live with Natasha."

"They're best friends, Cap," Clint said. "That should scare you more than anything. Where is Tony, anyway? I would have thought he'd be here to greet everyone in his normal, over the top, totally outdone manner."

Bruce choked on his water. "Tony's at an SI board meeting and won't be home for another hour or so," he said. "He asked Steve to handle host duties util then."

"That explains the new shirt then," Natasha said, appearing out of nowhere. "They're here."

"Let 'em up, JARVIS," Barton said.

"Yes, Sir."

"Guys, please don't swarm Phil all at once," Barton said. "He'll come talk with each of you, but he's probably still recovering from the bangs and bumps he took on the plane last week. The mission wasn't as smooth as it could have been."

The doors pinged open just as he was finishing. "The only way it could have been rougher was if the hostile pilot decided to crash the plane," Coulson said as he led his new team out. "Captain Rogers, Dr. Banner, good to see you both. Natasha."

She crossed over and hugged him tightly. Coulson made eye contact with his lover and Barton grinned. "Agent Grant Ward. Specialist Melinda May. Leo Fitz. Jemma Simmons. Skye," he said. "This is Captain Steve Rogers, Dr. Bruce Banner, and Natasha Romanov. Tony isn't home at the moment, but I'm sure he'll be back when we're least expecting him to be."

"What about the so-called God?" Ward asked.

There was a rumble of thunder overhead. Steve grinned. "He's just arriving now," he said. "Agent Ward, I don't necessarily agree that Thor matches up with my religious beliefs, but he is a god in his own right. You respect him and he'll respect you. Otherwise, well, you might get a taste of lightning up close and that's not a lot of fun."

"My friends," Thor said, striding into the room, "it is a night for feasting."

"In a bit, Thor," Clint said. "The Son of Coul has returned."

"That was mean," Natasha commented, as they watched Thor sweep Coulson into a hug. "I'm going to talk with Mel. Any messages you want passed along?"

"Yeah, ask her if she's heard anything new about that one thing we talked about," Clint said softly.

Natasha nodded and went to join May, who was looking a little uncomfortable at the size of the group. Barton knew the two of them would head out onto the balcony where they would be able to see everything around them and feel a little more secure with talking. "Bruce, you and Tony wanted to show FitzSimmons some of the projects you were working on?"

"Yeah, but I thought I'd wait for Tony to get home for that," Bruce said. "Still, I can take them down and show them a bit of the R&D floors. Might help them feel a little more at home."

"Thanks," Barton said. He went to join his lover who was listening to something Thor was saying. "Hey."

"Clint." Coulson wrapped an arm around his lover's waist. "Thor was just telling me what sentence Loki received when they arrived back on Asgard. I'm glad to hear that he is contained."

"It saddens me to see my brother imprisoned," Thor said, "but he caused much harm to you and to your home. He must be punished, though I do not think that even time alone to think is enough to make him change his ways completely. He will always be my brother, but I learned that he cannot be trusted."

"It's hard to learn that lesson about family, isn't it," Barton sighed. "I've told Thor a bit about my brother and our falling out."

Thor nodded. "Clint and I have spent many nights talking together," he said. "It's helped me a great deal."

"I'm glad," Coulson said. "Where did FitzSimmons get to, Clint?"

"They're with Bruce."

"Good, that's a good place for them," Coulson said. "And it seems like Ward and Steve are getting along well enough. Melinda with Natasha?"

"Yep, outside."

"That just leaves Skye," Coulson said softly. "Why don't we go talk with her for a bit, Clint?"

Barton met his partner's eyes and smiled. "I think I'd enjoy that," he said. "Thor, I think you'd enjoy talking with Agent Ward. He's the one over with Steve."

"I shall introduce myself," Thor said.

"That was mean," Coulson said. "You know Ward doesn't believe Thor is a god."

"Yep, but I think he'll change his mind by the end of the night," Barton said. "Come on, let's see what Skye makes of all of this."

"You're evil."

"It's why you love me."


	15. Chapter 15

Barton excused himself ten minutes into the conversation with Skye under the pretense of going to get Coulson something to drink from the kitchen, but he really just wanted a chance to talk with JARVIS for a minute. "Hey, JARVIS," he said softly, "the lady that Phil's talking with. She's a hacker with a hostile group. We've got her with us for a couple of different reasons, but you need to be on alert tonight, buddy."

"Thank you for the warning, Agent Barton," JARVIS replied. "I shall ensure that all protocols are enhanced for the duration of the party. Does she know of my presence?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn't advertise it," Clint said. "Fill Tony in, would you? I think that he needs to know about this before he shows up."

"He is in transit, I will pass the message along," JARVIS said.

"Awesome," Clint said. He took the soda back out to his lover. "Here you go, sorry we forgot to put it out. Things got a little crazy around here this afternoon."

Coulson smiled up at him. "Not a problem, Clint, thank you," he said. "Do I hear the suit?"

"Yep, Tony's home," Barton said. "Get ready for a lot of noise."

"You started the party without me, that's mean, Cap," Tony said, appearing through his private door. "Agent, you have a lot of explaining to do, starting with the whole not dead thing."

"SHIELD medical is better than anyone knows, Mr. Stark," Coulson said, standing up. "It's good to see you again. I understand you're one of the heroes of the battle. From the people of New York, thank you for saving them."

"Who told him?" Tony demanded.

"No one, I had full access to the files from Tahiti," Coulson said. "Have you been there, Mr. Stark?"

"Maybe, my memories of the South Pacific are a little fuzzy," Tony said. "So, where is the rest of this super team you've put together? It certainly isn't better than the Avengers, but I can see where you wouldn't want us for this. Just having me along would be a security threat."

"We're not touching that one, Stark," Clint said. "Bruce has the science team down in Candyland. They're waiting for you to look at projects. That's Agent Ward over with Cap and Thor. Agent May is out with Nat, and this is Skye."

Tony glanced down and smiled, although both Coulson and Barton noticed it didn't reach into his eyes like his smiles normally did. "Wonderful to meet you, Skye," he said. "Welcome to my humble Tower. If there's anything we can get you, don't hesitate to ask."

"Actually, I was wondering if maybe I could see the R&D floors too, Mr. Stark," Skye said.

"Sure, I'll take you down. Birdy, you want to come along? I've got that new arrow ready for you."

"Be right behind you," Barton said. He leaned in close to Coulson. "That's our code for come and watch everything, Phil. We're keeping J a secret for now, but I filled them both in."

Coulson nodded. "I'll go rescue Ward from Thor," he said. "See you when you get back, Clint."

"I'll bring everyone and we can have dinner," Barton said. "Have fun."


	16. Chapter 16

"Your R&D floors are the talk of the tech world, Mr. Stark," Skye said once they were in the elevator. "Is it true you have ten full floors of research and development here in the Tower?"

"More, actually," Tony said. "But those are all top secret, super hush hush levels. Here we go, Candyland. Where's Bruce at, Legolas?"

"Far corner right," Barton replied, rolling his eyes.

Tony grinned. "All right then, let's go get this tech party started," he said, heading across the floor. Barton cut through a few areas and was able to get there first. He whispered something into Bruce's ear and then stood back to watch the show. Tony showing off his tech was always fun. "Bruce, you got started without me. That's not nice."

"Sorry, Tony, but we haven't actually gone that far," Bruce said. "FitzSimmons was just telling me about a few of their tech projects and how they created them. Guys, this is Tony Stark."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"It's an honor."

If Tony was thrown by the pair talking over each other, he didn't show it. "Nice to meet you both," he said. "Which of you is which?"

"She's Simmons."

"He's Fitz."

"All right, that clears that up," Tony said. "Skye wanted to come along and see the areas for herself, so let's get started. I think you're all going to enjoy this a lot. I have only the best for my science teams."

Barton fell in behind the group, listening to Tony talk about what they were hoping to accomplish working with arc reactor technology and a few other trade secrets he wasn't able to talk with anyone about. Barton's eyes were on Skye the whole time and noticed that her hand kept going onto the left pocket of her dress. He grinned. That was obvious, even to him. The tour stayed to the top two floors of R&D, the public floors rather than the labs, because there were projects going that no one in the group except Tony had clearance to go and see. Barton caught Skye looking at the buttons on the elevator as they went back up to the common floor.

"Hey," he said, hugging Coulson tightly, "I think that Skye was taking pics or recording down in Candyland. You might see if you can get a hold of her phone once you're back on the bus."

"Thanks for the heads-up," Coulson said. "You guys didn't get near anything sensitive, did you?"

"Nope, I was able to give Tony a warning about what he was walking into before he got here," Barton said. "Speak of the devil, hey Stark."

"Agent, Legolas," Tony said. "How are you not dead, Agent?"

"I was, for eight seconds, although it felt like forty," Coulson said. "I saw the white light, Tony, but they were able to bring me back. Director Fury had other plans for us all, which is why he kept my continued existence a secret from the Avengers not cleared for Level 7 intel."

Tony sighed. "I haven't told Pepper yet," he said. "I don't know how, really, but I think she's seen the video."

"How did you explain this part then?" Barton asked.

"Okay, I might have said something about Agent coming back from the dead, but she didn't believe me," Tony replied. "She thinks that this is a party for a new group of SHIELD agents that will be working closely with the Avengers or something. I didn't really understand what she was saying."

They all paused when a small bolt of lightning flashed across the room and struck the rug. "Hey, easy there, big guy," Tony called. "No starting fires in the common room. We've talked about this. If anyone is starting fires in the Tower, it's going to be me."

"Ward must have said the wrong thing," Barton sighed.

"I'll go talk with him again," Coulson said. "Then we really should be going. As nice as it's been to talk with everyone, Director Fury wants us back up in the air as soon as possible. He's got our next mission for us."

"I thought you were picking your own," Barton said.

"This is an exception," Coulson said. "You'll understand when you read the mission report."


	17. Chapter 17

"At least we were able to send supper off with them," Bruce said, sitting down in his favorite chair in the common room. "It's a shame they had to run off like that. I was hoping to be able to talk some more with FitzSimmons."

"I kinda wanted to be around when Skye tried to use her phone again," Tony said with a grin. He flopped down onto the sofa with a sigh. "Like I would let anyone take pictures or notes in my labs. I'm insulted that she thinks she's good enough to get around that."

Barton looked over. "She might be, Tony. Phil told me that she hacked SHIELD twice from a laptop," he said. "Want me to double check?"

"Go ahead, but that tech scrambler I have in place is not only my own invention, but it's the strongest in the field," Tony said. "She'll be lucky to be able to get calls on that phone."

"JARVIS, would you call Phil for me, please?" Barton asked. "He should have another two hours of transit and prep before they're on the ground."

"Of course, Clint," JARVIS said. "Although I can back Mr. Stark's statement about her phone. I do not believe it will be functional."

"It's not," Coulson said. "Do I even want to know what you did to it, Tony?"

"She ignored the sign to turn off all electronics before entering the labs," Tony said. "It's not my fault her phone fried. You guys can get her a replacement, can't you?"

"Clint, are you in the common room?" Coulson asked.

"Yep."

"Go to your room and pick up there," Coulson said. "I need to speak with you privately."

"Call you back," Barton said. "I'll be back in a bit, guys."

Barton pushed up and headed for his room and the secure area he had before he called his lover. "What's up?" he asked.

"Dr. Hall was in transit and taken," Coulson replied. "I need your help, Clint. You and Nat have the clearance to work this from a couple of other angles. I don't want to think that there's a mole in SHIELD, but I need to know that for sure. Start asking some questions for me, would you?"

"Sure, not a problem," Clint said. "Sorry about the phone, Phil. I know that was one way you were tracking her interactions with the Rising Tide. I didn't think about that until it was too late. Guess I'm not as good at balancing my duties to SHIELD vs. my new team yet."

"It's fine, Clint, don't worry about it," Coulson said. "She's already raised such a fuss about it that FitzSimmons pulled out one of the new ones from storage and gave it to her as a present. I was able to remotely activate the usual handler access points so I'll know everything she does on that phone."

"Until she works it out," Barton pointed out.

Coulson grinned. "She thinks she already has," he said. "I feel the plane shifting, we must be close to landing. I'll call you back when I know more."

"All right, and I'll get Nat and brief her on what's going on," Clint said. "We'll have something for you when you get in touch, boss."

"I miss you."

"We just saw each other."

"I meant on my team," Coulson said. "You and Natasha, you questioned me, but it just made us stronger. The new team, they make me tired."

"Getting old, Phil," Barton teased.

"I'll show you old next time we're together, Clint. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Phil. Go get the bad guys. Nat and I will scare out any mole that's hiding in SHIELD."

Coulson laughed. "I'm sure you will. Tell Nick I thought it was time for some spring cleaning."

"It's September."

"It's spring somewhere. Talk to you soon."


	18. Chapter 18

Clint and Natasha spent the next twenty four hours going through SHIELD records and flushed out four moles, two enemy agents posing as scientists and one idiot that thought he would be able to steal tech to sell and make a fortune on, but none of them were related to the case that Coulson was working for Fury. "Well, that was a bust," Barton sighed, flopping down on his bed at the Tower. "Okay, not totally, we found out that some of the recruiters need to screen a little more, but Fury's office will deal with that. I'm worried about Dr. Hall."

"Have you heard anything from Coulson?" Natasha asked.

"They found some tech that traced back to Ian Quinn, but he's inaccessible," Barton replied with a sigh. "Phil's working on it, but right now they're sort of stuck. His only idea is to go in illegally and have Fury burn them if they get caught."

"Which Fury won't do," Natasha said. "I know he'd play the politics, but he would get them all home again, somehow."

Especially Coulson, but Clint kept that thought to himself. There was some tech they didn't want falling into enemy hands. "They're going to do everything they can to get Dr. Hall back, but it worries me that we weren't able to work out how he was taken in the first place."

"The new team has no ideas?" Natasha asked.

"From the sounds of things FitzSimmons is pretty shook up," Barton replied. "Dr. Hall was one of their mentors and they're worried about him."

Natasha sighed. "Emotions in the field will get you killed," she said.

"Forgive me interrupting, but Agent Coulson is on the phone," JARVIS said.

"No problem, J, patch it in," Barton said. "Phil?"

"We must be doing right if we had four moles in the operation," Coulson said wryly. "Skye got an invite to a party Quinn is hosting and we're working out a plan to get small strike team on the ground with her as decoy."

"Mel won't go," Natasha said.

"I wouldn't ask her to," Coulson said. "I promised her no combat if she came with me, and I've already broken that promise to her twice. I know she has other orders from Director Fury, but I feel bad to keep putting her into these situations. Ward and I will be going in together."

Barton groaned. "Phil, you're already back too early and have been through two battles you had no business being in," he said. "Do not make me sneak over there to protect your ass from hostiles."

"Always knew you liked my ass the best," Coulson said fondly. "I'll be fine, Clint. I've seen action, including with the Avengers."

"As I pointed out to him, he died that time," Mel said from somewhere in the background. "There are days I don't know which of you is more stubborn, Barton. You or this nut you call husband."

"I told you we aren't married," Barton said.

"It's a thought though," Coulson said. "We'll talk about it next time I'm in New York."

"You bring me a diamond, I'll think about it," Barton said. "Phil, I don't like the idea of you in combat. I know you're totally bad-ass, but you're still healing up. Don't do something that's going to get you hurt worse. I almost lost you once. I don't ever want to go through that again."

"I'll be careful," Coulson promised. "There's no other way, Clint. I need Melinda here on the bus to keep FitzSimmons calm. They're scared of me."

Natasha snorted. "They should be scared of Mel."

"I play nice," May said. "I'll be in his ear the whole time, Clint. If he needs me, I'll go."

"Thanks, Mel," Barton said. "Phil, be careful out there. I think I'm starting to understand what you went through all these years."

"We'll be fine," Coulson said. "I'll call you when the op is over. Love you, Clint."

"Love you too. Be safe, Mel."

"We'll be fine," May said just before the call was ended.

Natasha looked over at Clint. "It feels like you're hiding something from me," she said.

"Not a thing," Clint said with a shrug. "Come on, we've still got reports to write up for Fury."

"Joy."


	19. Chapter 19

"So, are you going to tell him how badly you got beat up this time?" May asked, leaning on the door frame to Coulson's office on the plane.

"No one touched me," Coulson replied.

"Then you're not going to mention the constant gravitational shifts in the room that kept slamming you into whatever was doing duty as the floor at any given moment," May said. "Coulson, you're not a robot, it's okay to admit that you're still hurting from the surgery they did to repair your chest after you were stabbed."

Coulson sighed. "I really am fine, just bruised up," he said. "I wasn't planning to mention it to Clint because he doesn't need to be worrying about me when he's out there fighting aliens and who knows what else to keep the planet safe."

"I don't remember you being this stupid last time we worked together," May said. "You know he's going to worry regardless, because he loves you, you idiot. Think about it from his perspective. Would you rather he tell you about an injury so you can be sure he's healing properly, or would you rather he lie, again, about how badly he's hurt?"

"All right, all right, I'll tell him," Coulson said. "I promise, I'll tell him. How's Skye doing?"

May moved into the room and shut the door. "Both she and Ward are in shock, but wouldn't tell me why," she said. 

"I made the call to sacrifice Hall to save everyone else," Coulson said. "I didn't realize, at the time, that both Ward and Skye were outside the door and witnessed me shooting the glass out from under Hall's feet, sending him down into the machine."

"Is he still in there?" May asked. "The new element, how much is known about it?"

"They're trying to figure that out, but I'm burying this thing as deeply as I can," Coulson replied. "I need to make a report to Director Fury, Melinda. Would you see about getting us back to the states, or to a safe port of call?"

"You know you did the right thing," May said.

"Try telling the kids that," Coulson sighed. "They seem to think that it's possible to save everyone. I guess it's time to give them the talk."

"I'll leave that to you." May put something down on the desk. "It's not a diamond, but I think this is a bit more Barton's style."

Coulson picked up the sea shell with a grin. "Where did you find this?" he asked.

"I have my secrets," May replied. She left, shutting the door behind her.

Coulson put the purple sea shell in a safe place inside his desk and dialed Fury's secure line. He supposed if he was going to be chewed out for what he'd done, again, he might as well get it over with.  
****

"Agent Coulson?"

"Simmons?" he said, not looking up from digging for a water bottle.

"I just wanted to say thank you," she said softly. "Skye told me what you did, but she doesn't understand what happened in there. You saved him from himself."

Coulson popped up from behind the bar. "Thank you," he said just as softly. "Where's Fitz?"

"Working on a project. It's how he copes, but I wanted to catch you and let you know that we both know you would have done everything possible to save Dr. Hall," Simmons said. "This was the only thing left for you, and I'm sorry it came to that point."

"That's why I'm the handler for the team, I have to make the calls, no matter how hard they are," Coulson said. "Do you think Fitz would mind me coming down and sitting in the lab for a bit? I'd like to learn more about Dr. Hall, and you two knew him well."

She smiled. "I think we'd both like that a lot."


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work is getting in the way of fandom today. I'm going to do my best to update everything, but if I miss, it's because I have to work on my server system. Stupid computers. *grumbles*

"Everyone, we need to have The Talk," Coulson said the next morning. "Take a seat and listen up."

"This isn't about sex between team members, is it?" Skye asked. "Because, if it is, it's totally too early for anything like that to happen."

Coulson looked over. "This is about decisions made in the field," he said. "SHIELD will do everything in its power to teach you to survive in the field, so that you and your team will make it home every time. You might have to spend some time in medical, but you will be home and safe. The handler, or team leader, is there to make the hard calls. The ones that keep you up at night. The ones that blacken your soul."

"You mean like killing someone?" Skye said.

"Killing someone is routine on ops," Ward said. "It's not easy, Skye, but it's something you have to come to terms with before you head out into the field again. This time you were lucky. You were able to get the gun away, but you couldn't pull the trigger. You need to think hard about whether or not you can kill another human being. There isn't always going to be a way to run, Skye. I'm sorry, but it's true."

She looked down at her hands. "I don't think I can kill," she said. "Is that going to stop me from becoming a field agent?"

"It'll slow you down," May said. "Coulson, Ward and I have all killed, so you can come and talk with any of us, or all of us, about our first kills and how we overcame the fear of taking another person's life."

"We can teach you tricks to try and keep people alive," Coulson added. "I'd rather have suspects to question, enemies to interrogate, even if it does mean feeding them, than corpses littering the ground. If nothing else, it's messy. I made the hard call yesterday. Dr. Hall was going to turn his machine on and kill everyone within a set distance from the estate. Innocent people that did nothing wrong, other than choosing to live where they were. Children out playing. One life against hundreds. Would I have preferred to be able to shut the machine down another way, yes. Dr. Hall was one of ours and I do not take killing lightly at all. No one should. In fact, if any of you ever get to the point that you kill without a hint of remorse, you're off the team. I saw that. Don't think that Melinda doesn't feel things, she just chooses not to show you what she's feeling."

May looked over at Skye. "You learn to wear a mask around others," she said. "Eventually it gets so good that no one notices it's there, not unless they're looking for it."

"It seems to me like you're all a bunch of blood-thirsty killers," Skye said. "No offense, FitzSimmons."

"I think that maybe the point is getting lost here," Coulson said. "I'm the team leader. I will be the one making the hard calls, and often the one that will punish you if you go against my call. I do not have to justify my decisions to you when we are working an op or afterwards, but I will be happy to discuss alternatives with you during the debriefing if you believe there was another path we could have taken."

"That's going to do the guy laying dead a lot of good," Skye said.

"I have been an agent with SHIELD for the past twenty years," Coulson said. "Before that, I was military. I have killed less that fifty men personally, less than a hundred as a handler ordering a team to take action. Once trust is established between us, if it will not risk the op, I will listen to alternatives at that time, but I have to know that if I disagree with your choice of action, you will follow my order."

"There's only one order Coulson gave that an asset disobeyed and survived without a black mark on their record," May said. "Although I seem to recall a fair number of early morning laps in the snow wearing nothing but shorts and a tank top."

Coulson sighed and rubbed his nose. "Which he enjoyed far too much. That punishment was Director Fury's idea," he said. "I was going to suspend his range time for two weeks and keep him locked in quarters with meals brought to him. Director Fury thought that was too harsh, given what we gained in the deal."

"Wait, are you talking about when Hawkeye went off grid and came back with the Black Widow?" Ward asked.

"Yes we are," Coulson said. 

"That's a legend in SHIELD," Ward said. "I thought it was just a story someone made up to make them both look more awesome."

"Trust me, Clint and Natasha don't need help to look more awesome," Coulson said. "They are both members of the Avengers, first picks, before Captain America and Iron Man were even on the grid. I can see that keeping anyone on topic is going to be impossible, so I will say this. I did what I had to do yesterday and, if I was in a similar situation and it was one of you in Dr. Hall's place, I would have done the same. You can think that makes me a monster if you want, but I will always be the one to make the tough call so you don't have to do it."


	21. Chapter 21

Clint's face was the first thing Phil saw when he got back to his office on the Bus. "Hey there," Barton said. "So, Mel might have called and said you had something to tell me. Do I want to know?"

"She didn't have to do that. I was going to call."

"Uh huh, when you didn't have those bruises showing on your face," Barton said. "Spill, Phil."

"I might have gone out on a field op that went a little sideways," Coulson said. "I wasn't counting on having the specific gravity of the room I was trying to negotiate in shifting constantly. Though standing on the walls without wires holding me in place was pretty awesome."

Barton rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I don't think I want to see the mission report on this one, which means that Nick is totally going to make me read it," he said. "Tell me you got the kids out in one piece."

"I did, but I didn't complete the objective. I had to kill our asset rather than save him. I also didn't realize that both Ward and Skye saw me do it. I had to have The Talk with the team."

"Bet Mel enjoyed hearing that one again."

"Wrong talk."

"Oh, you mean the one about hard decisions being the handler's job and trust," Barton said. "That talk. Gotcha."

"Clint, why do I keep you around again?"

"Because I'm cute?" Clint asked.

Coulson laughed. "Yes, you are, although my office seems empty without you here decorating my sofa," he said. "I just realized I don't even have a sofa in this office. That's an oversight on my part. How are you supposed to come in and try to distract me from paperwork if I don't have a sofa?"

"I'll just lie on your desk then," Clint said with a fond smile. "You guys heading to your next op?"

"Files are just starting to come through," Coulson said. "When this one is over, we'll touch down near New York if possible so you and I can have dinner and spend at least the night together. Maybe longer if I can convince Nick it's a good idea."

"After you guys blew a hole in the side of the plane, I think that might negate any extras he's going to give you," Barton said. "Even with what he did to your trading cards."

"Nothing will ever pay me back for those," Coulson said.

Barton held something up. "Tony found you something," he said. "Turns out his dad is as big of a nerd as you are and there's rooms of this stuff at Stark Industries. He said he'll take you on a tour when you're back in town."

Coulson stared at the book in Clint's hands. "Full set?" he asked.

"Full set in better condition than your old set. Steve said he'd autograph them for you, if you want."

"I....He told you about that?"

"Whole day in detail. You are such a fanboy, Phil," Barton said fondly. "I can't believe you told him you were watching over him when he was asleep."

"I really can't either," Coulson admitted.

"Which is why he wants me to tell you that he understands what you were doing and he appreciates it," Clint said. "He realized that you wanted to be sure he was comfortable and safe and woke up cared for. I don't think he's ever going to fully forgive Nick for lying about your death, and he doesn't think that he'd have been nearly as well cared for if you hadn't been there."

"That's actually pretty sweet," Coulson said. "Oops, first files are in. I've got to review these. I'll call when I'm done with the op. Love you, Clint."

"I love you too, Phil. Be safe and let the kids do the hard stuff. You need to heal up."

Coulson smiled softly. "I'll do my best. Talk to you soon."


	22. Chapter 22

"Mel, I need to talk to you for a second."

"It must be important if you're calling me that," May said, not looking back at Coulson. "What is it?"

He sighed and leaned on the co-pilot seat. "Barton's going to be meeting us at touchdown. I want an extra set of eyes on this op and Fury agreed to send him over."

"What's bothering you, Phil?" May asked softly. "What's wrong?"

"I got a look at the crime scene photos, Mel, and I don't know many people that would be able to pull something like this off. You're here and Natasha's at the base in Hawaii putting the fear of, well, her into some new agents," he replied. "I just need you to trust me for this, please."

She finally looked back. "Phil, what aren't you telling me?"

"Let me get a look at the scene in person," Coulson said. "Then I'll be able to tell you for sure."

May waited until she was alone and then punched in a code. "Director Fury."

"May."

"Something is wrong with Coulson," she said. "Barton is in transit?"

"He's already there and poking around for me," Fury said. "I think that Coulson is starting to get suspicious that something isn't right, May. I need you to be sure that no one else mentions it to him."

"Hard to do, Sir, given my directive on this op."

"Make it work," Fury said.  
****

Ward bit back a groan when he walked off the bus and spotted Agent Barton leaning against a van. "Barton."

"Hey Ward, how's it going?" Barton asked with a grin. "Found the rest of the traps I left for you around the plane?"

"Traps?" Ward asked.

"He's joking," Coulson replied, walking past them. "Barton, now."

"Later." Clint fell into step next to his lover. "Hey, talk to me."

"I've told you about some of my former charges," Coulson said. "Agents I handled before you were with SHIELD and started taking up all of my time."

Barton grinned. "You like how I take up your time, Phil," he said. "Yeah, I remember the stories."

"There's only one person I can think of that's unaccounted for that could pull something like this off, Clint," Coulson said softly. Neither of them flinched when May joined them suddenly. "Melinda."

"I'm coming with you, Phil," she said. "Skye's on her way down."

"Then let's get in the van and get ready to go," Coulson said. "I want to see this crime scene and I hope that I'm wrong."


	23. Chapter 23

Barton stayed in the background while Phil and the others went into the train to look at the scene. He'd already been through there and made some mental notes of his own. "Come walk with me," May said softly.

"What's up, Mel?"

"Something's wrong with Coulson," May replied as they started towards the stairs that would take them back up to the street. "I'm not sure what it is, but something is different this time, Clint."

"He thinks this is one of his," Barton said. "A former asset, someone he trained and handled, Mel. You know how he feels about all of his chicks."

"I think he'd hurt you if he heard you call them that."

"Probably," Barton said. "I'll keep an eye on him, but I think he just wants closure more than anything else."

May nodded, eyes sweeping the area around them for threats. "He commented that I was on the bus and Natasha was in Hawaii, Clint. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Yeah, it does," Barton said with a sigh. "He'll fill you in once he's positive, but I know who he's looking for. Let him know I've gone to do some digging?"

"Be careful."

"You too."  
****

Coulson looked back when arms wrapped around him. "Where did you vanish to?" he asked. "We could have used you."

"Sorry, I wanted to see about something," Clint replied. "What happened?"

"Amador rammed the van FitzSimmons and Skye were in," Coulson said. "They're all shook up, but fine. Skye managed to get us this. It's a feed from some sort of implant in Amador's eye."

"Hi tech," Barton said with a small whistle. "You guys manage to get a location on her?"

"Nothing yet, but we're taking turns watching the feed," Phil sighed. "I'm hoping she'll look at something that will give her location away and we can go get her. May's upset with me, wants to call in back-up from HQ, but I won't let her. It doesn't feel right, Clint."

Barton pressed a kiss to his lover's neck. "Does it feel the same as when I walked in the door with Nat behind me?" he asked softly.

"Exactly like that," Coulson said.

"Then you do what you need to do, Phil. Those instincts have never let you down before and they're not going to start to now," Barton said. "Now then, while we're alone, I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"I saw you walking around town with Ward," Barton said, lowering his voice so only his lover would hear him. "You don't have anything on under this suit of yours, do you, Phil."

Coulson flushed a little and looked sideways at Clint. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Sure you do. I've seen it before, Phil. You're in a hurry so you skip a few things," Barton said. "I could see the head just catching at the seam while you were walking. Your stride is also different when you skip."

"Clint."

"Come on, boss, let's let Mel take her turn at watching the feed and go up to your room," Clint said softly. He nipped Coulson's ear. "I want to see if I'm right or not."

"Clint, I'm in the middle of an op."

"And you have a team. I'm going up to bed. Think of what I look like naked in your bed, Phil," Barton said. "Because that's what's going to be up there just waiting for you."

Coulson took a deep breath and looked over at May, who had just walked into the room. "Why do we have him along again?" he asked.

"I think we'd have him full time if Fury would agree," she replied. "Go on, Phil. An hour won't kill you and I'll watch the feed. Clint's good for you, and heavens knows you need to relax."

"You sure?"

"Go."

"Thanks, Melinda," he said.

May sighed and turned back to the video. "Men."


	24. Chapter 24

"She's been hurt badly," Clint said, looking down at the sleeping woman. "Just like I was once upon a time. Think you can help her, Phil?"

Coulson sighed. "I'm going to do my best, but there's at least two years of damage and that won't be able to be undone in one day," he said. "Not to mention we need to find the person controlling that tech in her head. Go talk with FitzSimmons and get them on-com with Stark. As much as I hate it, Stark knows tech and it's possible he can do more with these spec readouts that we can."

"Easy enough. Call me if you need me," Barton said.

"I will."  
****

Barton found FitzSimmons in the lab going over not only the spec readouts from Amador's eye, but monitoring the feed for Ward and Skye, who had been detailed to finish the mission so the unknown controller wouldn't attempt to kill Amador. "Hey guys," he said with a soft smile. "Got a free monitor com I can use to make a call? Coulson wants me to get in touch with our Consultant."

"Yeah, over here," Simmons said. "Just talk quietly?"

"Quietly as I can," Barton said. He settled the earpiece into the ear that didn't have his SHIELD com and tapped in the code for Stark Tower. "JARVIS, hey bro, can you hook me into Tony please? I need his help."

"Of course, Clint, one moment," JARVIS replied.

Simmons looked over. "JARVIS?" she asked.

"Tony's butler. He had the night off when we were there," Barton replied. "He's a pretty cool guy when you get to know him."

"Hey Legolas, what's going on out there in spy land?" Tony asked, appearing on the monitor.

"More than I can tell you about now, Tony," Clint replied. "I'm sending you some tech readouts on some new tech we've just run into. Phil wants to know what you make of it and if you can give us anything good."

"New tech, huh? Seems like there's more and more of that popping up these days," Tony said. "Hit me."

"Next time we spar," Barton grinned. "Tony, there's a catch. This tech is at least two years old, maybe a little more, and it has a kill switch in it. We've managed to forge a link to fool the handler watching the feed, but we need to know everything we can as fast as we can."

"I'm good, but even I'm not a god," Tony said. He started flicking his fingers, which Clint knew meant he was sending readouts floating into the air around him. "I leave the god business to Thor anyway. He looks better in a cape than I do."

Barton sighed. "Not even going there, Stark," he said. "What can you tell me?"

"Give me an hour to look this over and we'll see what I can come up with," Tony said. "You said you have agents out finishing up an op. I should have something before they're done. This is classy, Clint. Classy and subtle and I want to know who's doing this to people. Whoever is in charge of this is sick."

"Tell me about it," Clint said. "I'll probably be up with Phil when you call back. You can talk wit FitzSimmons or have JARVIS call my personal com. He has the info."

"Will do," Tony said. "We'll find this bastard, Clint. Then I think I'll tell Steve what's being done. You know he'll have something to say about turning people into slaves."

"I think this bad creep won't know what hit him," Barton said with an evil grin. He purposely didn't mention FitzSimmons scurrying to the other end of the room to get away from him.


	25. Chapter 25

"Having the handler die on me was not part of my plan," Phil admitted softly. He and Barton were up on the upper hallway watching May talking with Amador down by the vans waiting to take her to a secure facility. "Who would do something like this, Clint? Who have we run up against that would be able to do something like this?"

"No one that comes instantly to mind, but I'll hit the files when I get home and see what I can find," Barton said. "You're not alone in this, Phil. You've got your team, and I can see them all starting to realize what it means to be a team. You have a talent for taking the worst operatives, the most broken, and not only bringing them back to life, but showing them that they're still people and still worth something." He pressed a soft kiss to Coulson's temple. "You are the most remarkable of them all, Phil."

"I'm really not."

"Yeah, you are. Give me a day with the files on base, ones that you can't access remotely, and I'll find you a name," Barton said. "Tony is working on the tech and I think he'll pry every secret out of it. He also said he's going to tell Cap."

Coulson winced. "That's mean," he said. "Still, Steve won't kill anyone. They'll just be extremely sore by the time he's done with them."

"JARVIS found some old footage of Captain America punching Hitler during the war," Clint said. "It was a thing of beauty, Phil."

"I've never seen that."

"I'll route it to you, fanboy," Barton said. "This is also my stop. Be careful out there."

"I wish I could keep you with me for everything," Coulson said. "I like having you here, Clint. I miss seeing you every day. What was that?" 

"Ward must have found one of the traps I left for him," Clint said innocently. "He's fine, just wet."

Coulson rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Go, you insane sniper," he said. "I'll head Ward off this time, but you're on your own next time."

"I'll be fine," Barton said. He kissed his lover and headed down the stairs towards the back hatch. "Mel?"

May glanced over. "Amador asked me what SHIELD has done to Coulson," she said softly. "She says that he's different now, but she wasn't sure how."

"Part of that could just be that he's not a stiff as he used to be," Barton said just as softly. "Think about it, she hasn't seen him in over two years. He's mellowed a lot in that period of time."

"Not that anyone that doesn't know him well would know that," May said. "Clint, Phil's also starting to realize something is wrong. I don't know if he's starting to work it out or not."

"I'll talk to the doctors at SHIELD and see what they have to say," Clint said. "Keep an eye on him, Mel. He's taken a lot of hits in a very short period of time and I don't know that he's fully recovered from everything."

She nodded. "I'll do my best. There's also that other thing we were talking about, Clint."

"Anything?"

"I think that we're going to have an answer here one way or the other very soon," May said. "I'll send you an update when I have one."

"Thanks," Barton said. "I wouldn't have agreed to any of this if you weren't here to watch everything, Mel. I don't know who else I would have been able to trust for this."


	26. Chapter 26

Clint was buried in the archives at SHIELD when Fury caught up with him. "Sir."

"Talk to me, Barton."

"We've got a new player in the game, Sir," Barton said. "Someone that's good with tech, probably even better that Stark. He's got the intel, he's working on it, but Coulson wanted to see if there was a name."

Fury pulled a chair over and sat down. "We've had links to Extremis, Rising Tide, this new tech, and Dr. Hall's possible grave," he said. "What does that all tie in with?"

"That's just the problem, Sir, nothing," Barton said. "I can't tie it together, no matter what cases I look at. I'm sure the analyst department would be able to put something together for me, but that would leak intel to the lower levels, which I can't risk. I don't want anyone to know why I'm looking into all of this."

"There's one analyst I trust. I'll turn this all over to him and see what he can come up with," Fury said. "You're right that this is all pointing to something big, Hawkeye. Good work catching it this early."

"Technically Phil did, but he can't exactly come and dig around in the archives," Clint said with a wry grin. "No matter how many agents and staff have seen the videos of the train station out in LA."

"In a way, I think it's better his status was exposed, if only to make the new team's refuel points less classified," Fury said. He leaned back in the chair and studied Clint closely. "May reported that something's wrong, Hawkeye. What do you think?"

"I think that Phil's smart, Sir. I think that he's realized something is wrong with him, something that dying wouldn't explain away, and he's trying to figure out what it is. It's possible we'll have no choice but to tell him the truth."

"Not an option."

"Sir, with respect, I don't think that it'll hurt him as badly as the scientists think it will," Barton said. "I know why they're afraid, but telling him could let him have more focus on the missions he's running with his team. I don't think that the scientists have fully taken into account Coulson's mental powers."

"I'll take it under advisement. Tell me about the new girl."

Barton leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "She's working for one person, Sir, herself. She's never had anyone in her life that she's been able to depend on before, so she's used to looking out for herself and doing whatever is going to benefit her the best," he said. "We've got bugs in her phone and on her computer. There's been contact with the Rising Tide, but nothing compromising. Nothing yet, anyway. Coulson's watching her closely and Ward is acting as her S.O. and has more contact with her than anyone else on the team. I do think that she is starting to realize that Coulson is there, he trusts her, and is giving her support that she's never had before."

"Like he did with you and Romanov."

"Yes, Sir. If this works, she'll be loyal to Coulson and, by default, SHIELD."

"I can live with that," Fury said. "You get back to the Tower and see what Stark has managed to come up with. Coulson's team is at a refuel point waiting for a new assignment. I've got to deal with Amador."

"Sir, what's going to happen to her?"

"Secure facility for now. She was compromised, and I'm not planning to put her through a trial or execute her," Fury said. "She needs quiet, time alone in her head, and work with the psych department. She'll get all of that before we even look at a possible trial. She committed crimes around the world, but under duress. I don't know a court in the land that would convict."

Barton smiled. "Thanks, Sir."


	27. Chapter 27

Coulson was watching Ward and Skye playing board games on the bus once they were back in the air. He wasn't sure if it was being back in the field or not, but he had more energy than he had prior to the stabbing. He didn't even flinch when May came up behind him. It was tempting to go down and spar with her, but Coulson was trying to maintain a certain image with the new team, and he didn't think that letting them find out he was fairly matched with May, and the Black Widow, would be a good idea. Coulson learned early on in his career to always let people underestimate you.

"Have you been able to convince Ward to spar yet?" he asked softly.

"No, he seems to still be in awe of me," Mel replied just as softly. "It's annoying."

"I can imagine," Coulson smiled. They both looked towards the ops room when a large red light started flashing. "Back to work."

"I'll get you on the mats yet," Mel grinned.  
****

"Mel."

"Phil."

"Follow Skye," Coulson said. "I don't like this at all."

May nodded. "Understood," she said.

"I'm going to do some digging while you're gone," Coulson said. "Private channel, just the two of us."

"I'll call."

Coulson headed to Skye's bunk and pulled out the laptop Skye kept under the mattress. They had tracers in there, letting him bypass all her security traps and programs, so he would be able to see what all she was really working on. Something changed in her bearings when they saw Miles Lydon's picture, and Coulson wanted to know what that was. He took the computer up to his office and shut the door so FitzSimmons wouldn't accidentally find him with the laptop and want to know what he was doing. Coulson might trust Skye on the surface, but he could tell she was still hiding something, and he wasn't sure what it was.

He'd just found files on the team when his private com went live. "We have visual."

"I'll be right there," Coulson said.  
****

The one thing Coulson did not do was jump when Natasha appeared in the back seat of the car while he was driving. "You're having fun without us, Coulson," she said.

"Seat belt."

"Mel asked me to check on a couple of things for her," Natasha said. She flipped into the front seat and buckled in. "There's no record of Skye prior to her acceptance into the Rising Tide. Of course, not having a last name makes it a bit harder."

Coulson glanced over. "That's one thing we haven't been able to find on her," he said. "Hang on."

"Did you teach Clint to drive, or did he teach you?"

"Lydon is in the wind," Ward reported over the com.

"I'm on it," Coulson said. "I have visual."

Natasha grinned. "Just like old times, Coulson," she said. "Only I wouldn't have lost the target so easily."

"We'll find him," Coulson sighed. "FitzSimmons, check what happened to this traffic light. Ward, meet me at the pick-up point."

"Mel?"

Coulson glanced over. "She's working on something else for me," he said. "I think that even you'll have to agree that I have the angles covered in a bit, Natasha."

"I've never known you not to," she said.


	28. Chapter 28

Coulson vanished back up into his office when they got back to the bus. Ward glanced over at Natasha. "Agent Romanov, right?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I didn't see you at the dinner the other night," Ward said.

"I was out on the deck with Mel," Natasha replied. "So, level seven for you, Agent Ward. I hear in the rumor mill that you're living up to your reputation and seem to be close to ranking with Agent Barton and myself."

Ward went red. "I don't know about that, but I'm doing my best," he said. "I was wondering, how did you adjust to being on a team, Agent Romanov? You sort of had the reputation for not being a team player when you joined SHIELD."

"Widow, up here, now," Coulson's voice carried down the stairs.

"It's easy; you trust your team or you die," Natasha said, heading up the stairs. She knew that Clint didn't like Ward, and could see why. In some ways they were a lot alike. "Coulson?"

"She tipped him," Coulson said.

Natasha looked over at the monitor on the wall. A text message, presumably from Skye's cell was up. "Do we know why?" she asked.

"No, but Melinda is on her tail," Coulson said. "If anyone can figure out what's happening, it's her. I need you to take some files back to SHIELD for me."

"Who?"

"Fury," Coulson said. "He'll get them to the right place. These are all off of Skye's laptop. She doesn't know I can get in easily."

"She should be more cautious," Natasha said with a smile. She took the stick and tucked it away in an inner pocket. 

"She's not you, Natasha," Coulson said. "How's the rest of the team doing?"

"Stark and Rogers have finally learned to get along, if you consider constant nagging getting along," Natasha said with a slight smile. "I think that they will learn with time. Bruce spends time either in the lab or at base. Clint is working on something for Director Fury and isn't home right now, and Thor is home."

Coulson sighed. "I wish I could be there with you guys," he said.

"We wish you could too, Sir," she said. "I'll get this to Director Fury. Be careful, Sir. There's something not right about all of this."

"Tell me about it," Coulson said. "Take care of yourself, Natasha. Clint and I both need you."

"I know," she said.

Coulson's private com came to life. "Phil, you're not going to believe this," May said.


	29. Chapter 29

"Coulson."

Phil looked over from watching Skye and Miles in the interrogation room. "Did you call to say you told me so, Sir?"

Fury snorted. "I think you're telling yourself that plenty, so no," he said. "You have tracers and access in place, Phil; what did all of that tell you?"

"It's still up in the air, Sir," Coulson said. "She tipped a suspect off that we were coming for him because of a personal relationship with him, but ever since she found out the truth about his recent actions, she's reverted back to the persona we've been seeing recently on ops. This is the first compromising communication she's sent since that text at the slingshot. There are files on her computer about each of the team, but that could be for her own benefit. She certainly hasn't been sending emails to anyone in the Rising Tide or other groups out to get us."

"You used the finger of doom on her, didn't you?" Fury asked with a small smile.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Sir."

"Like hell you don't," Fury said. "You do it when you're mad at someone. You have a folder with you and when they start to talk, you just point at them. You don't even look at them, Coulson, you just point and it's always enough to shut them up. Barton came up with the name, you know."

Coulson sighed and rubbed his forehead. "He would do something like that," he said.

"I've sent Barton and Romanov off on a fact gathering mission for me," Fury said. "I don't like how all of this is playing out, Phil, and I want to know who the hell we're dealing with here. Get me some names."

"Yes, Sir. We're in the air heading to Hong Kong," Coulson said. "I'll try and figure out what's happening as quickly as I can and report in."

"Do that, and stop beating yourself up, Coulson," Fury said. "You've taken every precaution against something like this. You had May on her tail. Nothing was compromised."

"This time, Sir," Coulson said. "I'm not sure what's going on, but there's something wrong."

"You died and you battled back, Phil," Fury said. "They say that dying changes a man, guess that holds true. I just have to remind you of two things."

Coulson smiled. "Barton and Romanov, Sir?"

"You trusted them when not many people were willing to, and they're two of the best we have," Fury said. "You follow this one to the end and see what happens. I've never known you to be wrong, and dying wouldn't change a man's instinct, no matter what else happened to him."

"Yes, Sir," Coulson said. "I'll report in once Hong Kong is wrapped up."

"I'll be waiting," Fury said.

May stepped into the office. "Told you that you were being too hard on yourself, Phil," she said.

"If I'm not, no one else will be," Coulson said. "What did you need, Melinda?"

"I brought you some food," May said. "Autopilot is on, I don't have to be in the cockpit until we're closer to landing. I thought you could use an old friend to talk to while you're waiting to see how this pair plays out."

"Thank you," Coulson said with a small smile. "I'd like that."


	30. Chapter 30

"That was far more destruction than I was hoping for," Coulson said. "FitzSimmons, you have the information downloaded yet?"

"Almost done, Sir," Simmons replied. "I don't want to say this would be easier with Skye..."

"Then don't," Coulson said. "Skye isn't allowed near electronics for the near future. May, take us home. I have to report in and we could all use a short break."

Mel nodded and headed towards the cockpit. She'd take them into New York and the base there. Fury would probably have a few things to say about it, but she thought that Barton and Romanov would be back from their op and seeing his lover would be good for Coulson. It was also getting close to Halloween, and there were legends about Tony Stark's Halloween parties.

Coulson went back up to his office and shut the door behind him. "Hey."

He was too tired to even react. "Hey."

"Fury filled me in," Barton said from the monitor. "Do I need to come and teach someone a lesson that it's not a good idea to lie to Phil Coulson, super-spy expert?"

"You're the only super-spy I'm an expert on," Coulson replied.

"I'd better be," Barton said. "Seriously, Phil, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Coulson said. He moved over to his chair and sat down. "I've verified the letter was redacted by SHIELD and am going to try and find the original. It's probably buried in a filing cabinet somewhere in the midwest. Fury's going to let me as long as giving Skye the information won't hurt any ops."

Barton nodded. "Sounds logical, and way nicer than I was expecting him to be," he said. "So, you want to hear what Nat and I found?"

"Sure."

"Extremis was invented by Maya Hansen and Stark heard about it back in 1999, but never did anything with it, more interested in the creator than the product itself," Barton said. "Pre-Pepper days. I asked him about it and he barely remembered anything. Maya is off the map, but Natasha is following one lead that might pay off. Aldrich Killian, disabled his whole life, was seen skiing in the Alps. The man could barely walk and this just seems a little suspicious."

"He couldn't have taken Extremis, Clint. It tends to cook people," Coulson said.

"Agreed, or at least what we've seen of it cooks people," Barton said. "How do we know there's only the one type out there?"

"Okay, I'll concede the point for now, but I'll be surprised if anything comes of this," Coulson said. "Killian works for AIM, doesn't he?"

"Founded it. Fury thinks it's possible that Maya is working for AIM now," Barton said. "We've got feelers out, Phil. We'll find something for you guys to go off of."

Coulson sighed. "I hacked the computers at the company where we encountered Scorch, also known as Chan Ho Yin, and I'm hoping we'll be able to find something on Centipede on there."

"They were stupid enough to give him a name?" Barton asked.

"Yeah," Coulson replied with a small smile. "I didn't want to do it, Clint, but I couldn't think of anything else we could do. The man had been driven over the edge by the time we got there. Someone drained out his blood, whatever protection was in there, whatever it is that kept him from getting burned, they have it and they have Extremis."

"We'll put it together, Phil," Barton said. "I promise you that. Where are you guys now?"

"On our way home," Coulson said. "Mel's bringing us into New York. I'll debrief and come find you."

"Sounds like a plan. Love you."

"I love you too, Clint," Coulson said. "I don't know how I'd be managing right now if not for you."


	31. Chapter 31

It was weird to be back in headquarters and not have to hide in the lesser used or secure halls. The medical team grabbed Coulson almost the second he walked in the building and put him through a battery of tests to be sure he wasn't badly hurt from the ops he'd been on, or that he'd reinjured something that healed up after the stabbing. After a little more than half a day, he finally escaped and headed up to Fury's office to report in.

"Sit."

"Do you want me to beg, Sir?" Coulson asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Save your kinks for your husband, Phil," Fury replied, looking up from the report in front of him, "not to mention the sarcasm."

Coulson smiled. "I've missed you too, Sir," he said. "Life just isn't the same without you yelling at me and glaring for no reason at all."

"I think maybe you hit your head one too many times. Tell me about Hong Kong."

"The target was compromised when we arrived," Coulson said. "Whatever they did to him, removing his blood, eliminated the protections he enjoyed prior to that. His arms were badly burned, but he didn't stop attacking. The group in question was foolish enough to give him a code name, Scorch, and it seemed like something they said to him was enough to drive him over the edge."

"Lied to him to get his cooperation and then took what they wanted," Fury said with a sigh. "I've upped the watch on others on our list. I want to know if someone even sneezes wrong around one of them. This has to stop."

"That reminds me, Sir, we need to reclassify and secure our interrogation procedures," Coulson said. "Skye found out about them, probably when hacking our system prior to joining my team. FitzSimmons looked quite upset at the thought of body probes."

Fury leaned back in his chair and considered Coulson for a long minute. "You're still trying to work Skye out, aren't you," he finally said.

"Yes, Sir," Coulson said. "The letter redacted by SHIELD referenced her when she was an infant. I don't think it's unreasonable to think that at least one, but more likely both of her parents were involved with SHIELD in some way. I don't know if they were part of our protection program, assets, or agents, but they were tied in with us in some way."

"I wish I could help, but infant paperwork is one thing that doesn't cross my desk," Fury said. "Hill handles that and I've asked. She doesn't remember the letter in question, but will help you out if you can find her the file. I don't know when you think you're going to have time for this."

"I'll make time, Sir," Coulson said. "I can at least start my search on the computer. She may be a hacker, but Level 7 is encoded enough that she wouldn't have been able to get anything from those files. I'm going to start there and then branch out. I think that since she couldn't find the file, it's either buried in our midwest bunker or Level 7 only. I'll see what I can find."

"What other precautions are you taking?"

"She's got the bracelet on and it's active," Coulson replied. "I'm keeping her away from tech for the next few weeks until I'm a little more comfortable that she won't do something to betray an op again. Melinda is keeping a closer eye on Skye. I wanted to have Ward do it, but he's gone back in his shell. I need to have a talk with him, but he's avoiding me."

"Avoiding his commander?" Fury asked.

"I'll get through to him, even if I have to have Hawkeye tie him down," Coulson said with a grin. "The team is going to learn the truth one of these days, Sir. I'm not sure it's time yet, but it's getting close."

Fury grinned. "I'd love to be there when they find out you're evenly ranked with Romanov, May, and Barton," he said.

"I'll be sure to record it for you, Sir."


	32. Chapter 32

"Agent! Welcome to my humble Tower," Tony called when he caught sight of Phil. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"They're on base being debriefed on the missions we've completed so far," Coulson replied. "Where's Clint?"

"On his floor, I think," Tony said. "I've been busy preparing for the Halloween party this weekend. You and your new team of super spies are all invited, of course."

Coulson nodded. "Is the party going to be held here, Mr. Stark?"

"No, we've got a venue," Tony replied. "We're still keeping JARVIS a secret from them?"

"We can tell Agent May about him, but I would like to withhold the information from the others at this time," Coulson said. He didn't even flinch when arms wrapped around him from behind. "Clint."

"JARVIS told me you're here," Barton said. "How long are you on the ground for?"

"A week. Director Fury wants to speak with certain members of my team about the missions we've been on," Coulson said. "I think he also wants to make sure of a couple of things before he lets us go back out on the bus."

"Then you are getting a nap," Barton grinned. "You're barely holding yourself up right now, are you?"

"I wasn't going to say anything," Coulson said.

"Come on, nap," Barton said. "I'll wake you up for supper and we'll get you back on New York time in a couple of days." He started walking Coulson towards the elevator. "JARVIS, will you start a hot bath for me, please?"

"Of course, Clint," JARVIS said. "Agent Coulson, Sir, may I say it is a pleasure to have you stay with us."

Coulson blinked a couple of times. "Thank you, JARVIS," he said as the doors closed behind them. "I wasn't expecting a warm welcome from JARVIS."

"Clint has been telling me of you and your reasonings," JARVIS said. "I believe I understand you a little more now, Sir. I am also prepared for any attempt you make at my protocols."

Clint started laughing. "I'll keep him in line, J, I promise," he said. "No one's going to touch your protocols unless it's Tony messing around with things again."

"Do I want to know?" Coulson asked. "This is nice."

"Tony let us decorate however we wanted," Barton said, grabbing Coulson's hand. "Come on, bathroom is this way. You are going to soak and then sleep."

"I don't know why I'm so tired all of a sudden," Coulson said. "I've actually had more energy recently. It's been weird."

"You've had periods like that before though," Clint said. "Strip."

"You just want to see me naked."

"Busted," Clint said. "Strip, Phil. I can remember a few times when you suddenly had more energy and they lasted about a month each time. I'm never going to forget the time down in South America when you had all that extra energy to burn off."

Coulson grinned. "That was a good op," he said. "You are going to join me in this ridiculously over-sized swimming pool right?"

"Tony swears it's a bathtub," Clint said. "I haven't argued the point with him because I really like it. I never have had anything like this before, Phil, and I guess I'm just taking the chance to enjoy it while I can."

"SHIELD agents aren't supposed to have such luxuries," Coulson said. He broke off with a groan as he sank down into the hot water. "I take it back, I'm never leaving again."

"Told you." Barton slid in next to Coulson and kissed him softly. "Welcome home, Phil. I've missed you."

"Missed you too," Coulson said.


	33. Chapter 33

Clint was in the common room kitchen fixing supper for Phil when May arrived at the tower. "Hey there, Mel, you hungry?"

"Sure," she said with a smile. "Clint, how do you stand being around Tony Stark for any length of time? It's like drowning in words."

"He does talk a lot, doesn't he?" Barton grinned. "You just sort of learn to tune him out. There was one night when we drugged his pop and then Cap found out about it and we got in trouble for that. Oh, while I'm thinking about it, Phil said he wants to let you in on one of the secrets for Stark Tower. JARVIS, say hello to Agent Melinda May."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Agent May," JARVIS said. "I believe your inclusion in this secret means that you are a member of the family."

May looked up at the ceiling and shrugged. "I've seen weirder," she said. "Nice to meet you, JARVIS. I wondered what everyone here was keeping quiet about. You guys don't want Skye to find out about JARVIS, do you?"

"Any of them, although I think FitzSimmons is next on the list to be included," Barton said. He pulled the roast out of the oven and put it to the side to cool a little. "Phil's asleep. I think he's more worn out from these ops than he wants to admit to."

"He's had more nervous energy. I tried to get him to spar with me, but he doesn't want the team to know that about him either."

"I hope I'm on the bus when Ward finds out what a bad ass Phil is," Barton said.

"If not, I can record it for you," Coulson said from the doorway. "I woke up and my pillow was gone."

Barton looked back and couldn't help but smile. Phil hadn't done anything to eliminate the 'just awake' look, which told him more about how at home Coulson felt in the Tower than anything. "You need food too, Phil, and you're not going out to the pre-Halloween dinner that Stark is holding tonight. We're going to eat here and then get you caught up on your sleep."

"I wish you wouldn't mother hen in front of my team."

May crossed her arms over her chest. "I've never really done domestic before," she said. "It's interesting."

"Phil's the only one I do this with," Clint said. He drained the potatoes and spread them out on a towel. "Nat would kill me if I tried any of this with her, and the rest of the team has Cap fussing over them."

"I heard he wanted to send Phil flowers," May said, expressing not shifting.

Coulson flushed. "He didn't, he doesn't have to," he managed.

"Something else to keep the new team from figuring out," Barton said, rolling his eyes. "Phil, you really need to spend some time here, if only to get to know Steve a little better."

"I don't think my heart can handle it," Phil admitted, sitting down on one of the bar stools just outside the kitchen. "Do I even want to know why these are here?"

"Cooking is a spectator event some nights," Clint said with a shrug. "Cap has also learned that he can talk to all of us if someone is cooking because everyone else sort of gravitates to the kitchen. Even Stark most nights."

"Other nights we have to drag him out," Natasha said, appearing behind Coulson. 

"Hey Nat, dinner done already?" Clint asked, looking over.

She sighed. "I didn't go."

"You know you're going to have to admit to it one of these days," Clint said. 

"Admit to what?" May asked.

"Don't you dare, Clint Barton," Natasha said sharply.

"I wouldn't. Since you're here, make yourself useful and set the table for four," Clint said. "I'll feed you."

Natasha looked over the food. "Where's the pie?" she asked.

"Cooling. You have to eat everything before you get pie," Clint replied. "Otherwise I'll tell Cap."

"You do and I'll cream you on the mats next time we spar," she hissed.

"Empty threats, Nat. Set the table. This is almost ready."


	34. Chapter 34

"What is Natasha hiding from everyone?" Phil asked when they were back in Clint's room for the night.

Barton grinned. "She's got a thing for Bruce," he replied. "Nat's never felt softer emotions for anyone and she's trying to come to terms with everything. I think it scares her a little, but she's also looking at you and me, and Pepper and Tony, and realizing that loving someone doesn't make you weaker."

"I think they would be good together," Coulson said, stretching a little. "I just worry about flashbacks to the Helicarrier when the Hulk tried to grab her."

"Must be before she got to me," Barton said. "They spend a lot of time together, Phil. That, more than anything, is going to help them. Now, what about you? How are you feeling?"

"Fully and tired," Phil admitted. "I think your plan worked out, Clint. I just want to sleep."

"Excellent, my evil plans are on pace for Coulson domination," Barton said, rubbing his hands together.

"And people complain about my jokes," Coulson sighed. 

"Your jokes are worth complaining about, Phil," Clint said. "Come on, I've got some of your favorite sleep pants here. We can sleep tonight and see how we feel when we wake up."

Coulson glanced back at Clint. "You want me that badly, Hawkeye?"

"Not badly enough that I deprive you of your sleep," Barton said. "You're still recovering from your injuries and you went back in the field against doctor's orders and have been on several rough ops. I'm surprised you're still standing. Sleep now, sex later."

"You're going to drag me to this Halloween party of Stark's, aren't you?" Coulson grumbled, heading towards the bathroom.

"I thought you could wear your black suit with a white shirt, black tie, ear piece and sunglasses," Clint said. "I didn't know if you'd be here or not, so I'm coming up with things last minute, and a government drone is doable out of your current wardrobe and they've been made cool by tons of movies."

"I could wear my field suit," Coulson said.

Barton growled and pushed Phil up against the wall. "No one sees you in that but me," he said. "I don't care what op you're working, you wear one of the special suits R&D made for you. That field suit is mine."

"Suddenly I'm not so sleepy," Coulson grinned. He grabbed Barton's head and pulled him in for a kiss.  
****

Natasha and May went back out on the deck after dinner to talk for a bit. "What do you think of Skye," Natasha asked, settling into one of the chairs.

"She could be one of us," Mel replied. "She looks out for herself first, is able to play either side, even if it means pitting them against each other. She's a risk, but she's not the risk I thought she was at first."

"I haven't been able to find anything," Natasha sighed. "Without a last name, or her real name, it's impossible to find anything in the computers."

"The letter is heavily redacted," May said. "Far heavier than anything I saw when I was working in the office. I'm not sure what that means, Nat, but there's something about this girl that no one wants us to know."

"I'm okay with not knowing," Natasha said, "but if she hurts Coulson, she'll have me to deal with. No one hurts my handler and gets away with it."

May nodded. "I'll bring her in if that happens," she said.


	35. Chapter 35

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Coulson said, adjusting his tie. "I feel like I'm going to the office, not a party."

Clint looked over. "It was this or the grass skirt, Phil, and it's cold out there," he said. "I don't give a damn how nice your legs are, you are not going to catch a cold because of your Halloween costume."

"It would be like being back in Tahiti," Coulson said. "Where are my sunglasses?"

"On the table by the door," Barton said. "Can you get the zipper, please?"

"Do I want to know why you're in a cocktail dress and heels?"

"Stark."

"That explains it all," Coulson said. "And it's purple because he knows you so well?"

Barton looked back over his shoulder. "I make this look good, Phil," he said. "Besides, you get to take me out of it at the end of the night."

"I'll be honest, Clint. You in a dress is not one of my fantasies," Phil said. "Your make-up looks good though. Are you wearing a wig too?"

"Yep."

"I don't know why I even had to ask," Coulson sighed. He'd seen Barton in drag a couple of times on ops when they needed a woman and they didn't have Natasha with them. It was hard because of Clint's arms and chest, but they'd managed long enough to complete their mission objective. The costume that night did nothing to hide the muscles that were even more sculpted than before because of all the extra range time Clint had been putting in. "You're going to turn an ankle in those things."

"I've been in worse," Barton said. He stepped into the heels carefully and found his center of balance. "All right, what do you think?"

"You need a coat," Coulson said.

"You wound me, Phil."

"Put on your tank top and shorts and we can talk," Coulson said, heading out into the living room. He found his sunglasses and tucked them into his pocket. He wouldn't put them on until they were at the party. "Who all is going to be at this party, Clint?"

Barton joined him, pulling on a matching jacket. "It's Tony Stark and a party, Phil; I don't know everyone that's on the guest list. My guess would be a mix of SHIELD and business associates along with whoever is classy enough or high enough on the party circuit to get an invite from Stark or Pepper," he said. "We just have to go and make nice for a couple of hours. Tony knows how I feel about these things."

"I'm curious. If you had won whatever bet you have going with Stark, what would he be dressed up as tonight?"

"A hobo," Barton said.  
****

Skye looked around with wide eyes when she and Ward walked into the large room where the party was being held. "How did we get lucky enough to get invited to this again?" she asked.

"Coulson," Ward replied. His eyes were darting around doing threat assessment.

"Oh, come on Ward, give it a break," Skye said. "It's a party. No one here is going to kill us."

"I might," a voice said from behind them. Ward spun around and did a double-take.

"Agent Barton?" he asked.

Clint grinned. "It's a costume ball, Ward, lighten up a little," he said. "Don't tell me you never had to go on a couple of ops in drag."

"Never," Ward said.

"I might have to make a few suggestions then," Clint said. "Enjoy your evening guys."

Skye looked up at Ward once they were alone. "He really doesn't like us, does he?"

"You would know if he didn't like you," May said as she passed by, dressed in a cream suit with her hair pulled back. "When Agent Barton doesn't like people, he shoots them."


	36. Chapter 36

"Agent."

"Mr. Stark, what can I do for you tonight?" Phil asked.

"I wanted to ask you about your hacker," Tony replied. "She keeps going for her phone and then stopping. What's going on with her?"

"Skye is currently banned from the use of any technology," Coulson said. "Which we are reinforcing through means you do not need to know about. If she touches her phone, she will fry it and we are not replacing it again. Why is my husband in a dress tonight, Mr. Stark?"

Tony laughed and looked out on the floor. Barton was dancing with a very red Steve. "Because I wanted to see what he would do if I put him in one," he said. "No one ever told me that he'd done drag before. If I'd known, I would have come up with something he'd never worn before."

"Mr. Stark, there is nothing that Barton hasn't worn before," Coulson said. "He is an expert at disguise when the mission calls for it."

"I'm starting to realize that," Tony said with a sigh. "You should have let me pick out your costume. Man in Black is predictable for you."

"My comm is active. There are benefits," Coulson said. "Fury just called and gave me our next mission, so my team will be having to leave early. Thank you for your hospitality tonight, Mr. Stark. I'll see you again soon."

"Have fun out there, Agent. Don't taze anyone I wouldn't."

Coulson nodded and made his way out onto the dance floor. "Captain, may I cut in?" he asked.

"Sure," Steve replied. "Have fun."

"I will."

"What's going on, Phil?" Clint asked softly, wrapping his arm around Coulson's shoulders.

"New op. Dead people floating in the air," Phil replied just as softly. "Nick wants to know what the hell is going on, so he's sending us in."

"Fury knows how to spoil all my fun. I wanted you to strip me slowly and then tie me to the bed, Phil," Clint said.

"We'll do that next time, only you'll be in a tank top and your jeans," Phil said. "You might make purple look good, Clint, but you are far too built to pass for a woman."

Barton grinned. "You love my arms and you know it, Phil," he said. "Be safe out there. I worry about you on these ops."

"I'll be fine. I have Melinda with me."

"I'd rather you have me and Nat."

"I know," Coulson said. He reached up and kissed Clint softly. "You be safe too, Clint."

"I will."

Coulson pulled back and went to find his team. Barton sighed and headed towards the bar for a pop. All of his plans shot down by Fury, again. Sometimes he thought the man was out to get him.  
****

"Hey Legolas, can I talk to you privately for a minute?" Tony asked when they were back at the Tower.

"Yeah, sure, come on down to my floor," Barton replied. "I want to get out of this dress and take my make-up off."

"How did you get your make-up looking so good anyway?" Tony said. "I was wondering all night because Natasha said she didn't do it and I know none of Agent's team were here before the party. Pepper was with me, so that really narrows down the field."

"Tony, I did my own make-up," Clint said. "Between the circus and SHIELD, I know how to make myself look how I need to. You would be amazed at what all make-up can be used for." He kicked the heels off with a small groan. "Haven't used those muscles in a while. I'm going to have to swim tomorrow. Have a seat, I'll be right back."

Tony looked around the living room. Barton had done most of the decorating himself, not wanting strangers in his space, and it looked really good. Tony might have to hire the sniper as a consultant on some of his new buildings. "All right, what's on your mind, Tony?" Barton asked, coming back into the room. He was carrying a mirror, what looked like a fishing tackle box, and washcloth.

"What did you guys do to Agent?" Tony asked seriously.

"I don't know what you mean," Barton replied. He set everything down and flicked open the box, pulling out a bottle of cold cream. "He's still recovering from dying, but he's still Phil."

"That's just it, I don't think he is," Tony said. "There's something not right about him, but I can't work out what it is from the limited amount of time I've spent around him. JARVIS agrees with me, by the way."

"JARVIS, he's just Phil," Barton said. "I know he's messed with you in the past, but he's the same man he always was."

"Who are you trying to convince, Birdy, JARVIS or yourself?" Tony asked.

Barton sighed. There were days when Stark's brain was a pain to have around, if only because it was impossible to figure out when he would notice something and not let go of it. "JARVIS, Tony," he said. "Look, you've been near death, right?"

"Yeah, never thinking about that again."

"Were you exactly the same when you came back from that, or did some things change a little because of what you went through?"

"Things changed," Tony said.

"So why are you having such a hard time seeing the same thing happened to Phil?" Clint asked.

"I guess I just want him to be the same as he was," Tony replied. "He hasn't threatened to taze me yet."

"You have't been acting up," Clint said.

"You're sure Fury didn't have the doctors implant some humor gland or something?" Tony asked.

Clint started laughing. "I'm sure, Stark," he said. "I know my husband, okay? He's still coming to terms with a few things, but he's just the same as he always was."

"When did you two get married, anyway?"

"We're not, but we've started calling each other that. The ceremony will be whenever we both have time."

"So, never," Tony sighed. "Leave it to me, Clint. I'll get things taken care of."

Barton really didn't know what to say to that.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys.  
> Surprise. *grins* I forgot to mention yesterday that my days off have changed so my updates this week and next week will be Sun-Thurs. Then I'm heading off on holiday and won't have computer access, so from roughly Nov 18 - Dec 4, there will be no story updates. Should make my detractors happy anyway. I'm going to London for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration. I promise I'll write while I'm away, as best I can, and have some updates when I'm home again.
> 
> As always, thank you all for being amazing readers. You make writing these stories a joy. :)

May set the autopilot and headed towards the hanger bay. There was something off and she wasn't sure exactly what it was. Finding Phil on the treadmill with all the attached electronics on wasn't what she was expecting. She also knew that he hadn't been on-comm with anyone since the plane too off, so she wasn't sure what the talk about the physical therapist was.

"Especially for a man of your age," Simmons was saying.

May bit her lip at that and headed back towards the cockpit. Phil hated to be reminded of his age, and mentioning it after everything that happened with him probably wasn't the brightest thing Simmons could have done. She made a mental note to pull the video of Phil in his workout clothes and sent it to Barton as she shut herself in the cockpit again. There were a few things May had fitted on their stop at the Slingshot that no one other than Phil knew about. She engaged the white noise filter, put her headset on and called in a report.

"Talk to me, May," Fury said.

"Coulson is having a physical, Sir," she said. "Everything is good, but they hadn't gotten to the blood work before I left. Look for a report coming into medical in the next two hours."

"Thank you for the heads-up," Fury said. "I'll take care of it. How's Coulson doing otherwise?"

"He knows something is wrong, Sir, but he doesn't know what. I'm getting worried about him," May said, adjusting their course. "I agree with Barton's assessment that it might be a better idea to tell him the truth rather than let him figure it out on his own. It's possible we could lose him not from shock, but because he feels betrayed by us all."

Fury sighed. "Medical stands by their assessment that finding out the truth would kill him," he said. "That's a risk I cannot take. Make it work, May."

"I'll do my best, Sir," May said. 

"Do better," Fury said and ended the connection.

May sighed and turned on the intercom. "Prepare for landing."  
****

Barton wasn't surprised when he got a text from the Director in the middle of lunch. Tony looked over. "Seems like you're seeing a lot of Fury lately, Birdy," he said. "Something Agent should know about?"

"I'm working on a project," Clint replied, trying not to sigh. "I've got to go, see you guys later."

"What project?" Tony asked Natasha.

"I don't know," she replied.

"You know everything."

Natasha's eyebrow went up a little. "I know I can beat you on the mats if you don't shut up and eat your lunch, Stark," she said. "Level 7 affairs are not yours."

Tony snorted. "It's not super-secret if everyone knows about it," he pointed out.

"Not everyone at SHIELD knows about Level 7," Natasha said. "Just those that need to. If you hadn't been poking around where you didn't belong, you wouldn't know about it either."

"I trust Fury about as far as I could throw him minus the suit," Tony said. "The more I can find out from the computers, the better I can anticipate what he's going to need from us."

"The better to refuse, you mean," Bruce commented from down the table. "Tony, why don't you just admit that Fury played you perfectly and get on with your life?"

"Because I don't lose," Tony said. "Ever."


	38. Chapter 38

"You needed me, Sir?"

"Shut the door and hit the button," Fury replied. "Your husband, and I'm still waiting to see the paperwork on that one, Barton, is having a physical while they're traveling to their first stop. What is going on?"

Clint sat down in the chair and shrugged. "Just what Mel and I have been telling you, Nick; Phil's working out that there's something different about him, and he's worried about it," he said. "It's not to the point of obsession yet, but I think it will be before too much longer. Look, I know him. I know how he reacts to everything. Telling him the truth about this is not going to break him. Yeah, he's going to be upset, but he's also going to realize that it was the only thing we could do for him. You have the paperwork, right?"

"He signed it, just like you did."

"So he knew this was a possibility. Nick, let me tell him. When this op is over, let me take him home and tell him the truth," Barton said. "It's not going to break him. Phil isn't going to die because he's in an android body. If anything, I think he'll find some benefits to it."

"He's going to watch you age and die, Clint. I don't see any benefit there," Fury said.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Phil is going to notice he isn't aging anymore," Barton said. "Nick, he's not stupid. You wouldn't have him where he is if he was. Why are you so determined to break trust with him on this?"

"Because I don't want to lose him," Fury admitted.

"I don't either. Mel doesn't want to lose him and she's pushing for the same thing I am," Barton said. "Let me tell him, Nick. He's not going to die on us."

Fury leaned back in his chair and studied Clint for a long moment. "You're sure of that, are you?" he finally asked.

"Yeah. I'd stake my bow on it."

"I'll take it under consideration," Fury said. "But if I find out you've told him before I give you the okay, then you are going to be babysitting Stark at the next four galas that Stark Industries has, and you will not be allowed to hide in the rafters. Do you understand me?"

"Nick, I've kept quiet this long."

"You have, but you haven't been happy about it."

"How am I supposed to be happy when the man I love died and was transferred into an artificial body?" Barton asked. "I know it's still him, Nick. I know that down to the core of his processors he's still Phil, but I have to lie to him about so much and it hurts me to do it. You don't lie to the ones you love. I learned that lesson the hard way."

"Let me check on some things and we'll talk again," Fury said. "How's your research into Centipede going?"

"Slowly. They've managed to hide their tracks well," Clint said. "Natasha thinks she might have a lead over in London. You should have the report on your desk. She's just waiting for your clearance to head over there."

"Tell her she has it," Fury said. "I want these people, Clint. I want them in a cell where they cannot hurt anyone else."

Barton nodded. "Understood," he said.  
****

May waited until they were alone up in Coulson's office before she said anything. "You have got to stop doing that, Phil," she said. "What if that man had blown before you were about to get outside? Then what would have happened to you?"

"He needed someone to talk to," Coulson said. "I couldn't just leave him there, Melinda. What's our ETA to the sandbox?"

"Four hours. Simmons wants to talk to you about something," May said. "I'm not letting this go, Coulson. You seem to have a death wish and that's not acceptable."

"I already died once," Coulson said. "I'm not trying to kill myself, Melinda. I won't put Clint through that again. It's just, there's something not right and I guess I'm still poking at the boundaries to see exactly what it is. I'll figure it out eventually."

"I hope you do, because I am not going to be the one to call Hawkeye and tell him you've died."

"I wouldn't make you," Coulson said. "See if you can get any more power out of the engines. I want to be to the sandbox as fast as we can. I do not want that thing in my plane longer than it has to be."

She nodded. "I'll see what I can do."


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stealing some lines from the show again because Coulson snark is WIN. I think you'll know them when you see them. :)

Coulson was reading a file when May tapped on his door. "Everything okay?" she asked softly. "How's Simmons?"

"Fine. You wouldn't know how close she came to death if you didn't see it for yourself," Coulson replied.

"It could take a while to sink in," May pointed out. "You and I have been near death enough times to know that. I'm worried about her."

"We'll keep an eye on her, but Fitz will probably be the first one to notice any real problems," Coulson said. He set the folder down on his desk with a sigh.

"Is that her medical report?"

"Mine, actually," Coulson said. "Blood work finally came through. Everything's normal. Iron's a little high, but don't worry. You don't have to start calling me Iron Man."

May almost smiled. "Wasn't planning on it," she said. "Now tell me the truth, Phil. What's wrong?"

"The paperwork says I'm fine. That everything is normal, but here," he pointed at his heart, "here I know that it's not. They explained away the high iron as being from all the transfusions I had when I was recovering prior to Tahiti, but that doesn't make any sense. The doctors at SHIELD would have been watching for problems and wouldn't have okay'd me to be back in the field if there was anything wrong."

"You did fight to come back early, Phil," May pointed out. "Is it possible this was something they were monitoring and just didn't mention until now?"

"It's possible, but I just don't know what to think," Phil said. "There's something wrong, Mel. Something different. Everyone is picking up on it, so why can't I figure it out?"

"Take off your shirt."

"Excuse me."

"I'll leave molesting you to your husband, Phil, I just want to see something," May said.

Coulson undid his tie with a sigh and then his shirt buttons, pulling the fabric back enough to show the large scars from his injury. May reached out and rested a hand over them. "You died, Phil," she said softly. "You died and battled back to us because you weren't finished with something here. My guess, you didn't want to leave Clint alone to fight without you at his side."

"But I'm not at his side. I'm here and he's off fighting with the Avengers," Coulson said. "This was never the plan. Fury promised me I would be working with the Avengers initiative once it was up and running because he didn't want to have to deal with Stark on a regular basis. Then he sent me here. Why?"

"We're doing good, Phil," May said. "This here, everything we're doing, no one else could do. I still don't agree about having Skye on the team, but I can see what you see. She's been hurt too many times and is hiding her true self away. I thought Ward had the best chance to get her out of her shell, but with him retreated now, I don't know what's going to happen."

"I don't either. Skye cares for the team, perhaps too much," Coulson said. He did his shirt back up and leaned on his desk. "I don't know how to tell her that caring too much is a disadvantage in SHIELD."

"She'll learn," May said. "You care, Phil, some would say too much, but those that know you also know that if it came down to mission or Clint, both you and Clint would chose mission because you are that dedicated to our mission."

Phil smiled bitterly. "People think that makes us both crazy," he said. "You're right though. I would never leave Clint behind, but I would be able to make the hard call if I had to. I'm just glad I've never been forced to put that to the test. I remember talking to Clint about it, actually. Late at night in my office with Chinese trying to get a mission report out of him. He made sure that we were on the same page for everything before he even thought about a personal relationship. Does that make me a monster, Melinda?"

"No, Phil, it makes you one of the best Agents of SHIELD that's ever lived," May said. "Get some sleep and call Clint in the morning. You'll feel better if you can stop obsessing over your health."

"Easy to say, not so easy to do," Coulson said. "But I'll try."

"I'll help you," May said.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. My apologies for not updating yesterday. I had to stay up late to do some stuff for my trip and, as I suffer from fibromyalgia, threw myself into a flare bad enough that I was forced to stay home for a day and couldn't focus on anything. I'm doing better and am back to a semi-regular routine, including updates.
> 
> Thanks for your patience. :) My last update before my trip will be Sunday, Nov. 17th.

Barton was in the gym when his phone rang. He put the weights back on the rack and reached down for it. "Barton."

"Hey."

"Phil, where are you guys?" Clint asked, sitting up.

"The sandbox," Coulson replied. "We're burying something deep and then we'll be heading down to D.C. for something. I'm not even sure what, but nothing is being said on-comm. It's possible that things could get heated, Clint."

"Need me to meet you?"

"Could you?"

Clint grinned. "I'll clear it with Nick and head down," he said. "I'll be there before you guys are, need me to check anything for you first?"

"Nothing that comes to mind," Phil said. "Clint, I had a physical done while we were in transit."

"Oh yeah, you okay?"

"I don't know," Phil said.

Barton grabbed his towel and started towards the elevator. "Well, what did the report have to say?" he asked. "Although, this does explain the pictures of you in shorts and a t-shirt I got from Mel."

"She didn't."

"Of course she did. How often do I get to see you out of your suit, Phil?"

"More than anyone else in SHIELD, and that includes the doctors," Coulson said. "Stop dodging the point, Clint."

"I'm not dodging anything. I just have an appreciation for your body."

"Is that Stark I hear gagging in the background?"

"Huh, yeah, it is. I didn't even realize he was on the gym level. Hang on a second." He tilted the phone away from his mouth. "You shouldn't eavesdrop on personal conversations if you can't handle what's going to be said, Stark."

"You shouldn't be having phone sex with Coulson, and god there are words I never thought I would say, in the hallway where anyone can overhear you," Tony replied. "It's obscene. Some things should be kept to your floor there, Legolas, and this is one of them. Pepper's trying to teach me the difference between okay in public and not, and I know for a fact that this is on the not list."

"Like that's going to stop you," Clint grinned. "Is that it, Tony? I'm on a deadline."

"You super-spies, always running around," Tony said. "Don't kill anyone, Agent."

Coulson chuckled. "Tell him I will take that under advisement," he said.

"He won't," Barton said. "Later, Stark."

"In some ways, I think I'm glad I'm not there full-time," Phil said. "Stark would drive me crazy."

"He lives to drive people crazy. What did the medical report say, Phil?"

"I'm fine," Coulson said. "Everything came back as normal, but I don't feel right, Clint. Melinda says it's because I died and I'm still adapting to coming back to life, but I think it's more than that. I don't know what I think. I don't know what I'm doing, but there's something nagging at the back of my mind."

"I can swing by medical, terrorize the doctors for you."

"You do that enough in your own time," Coulson said. "I think just seeing you again will help, Clint. Are you sure you can join us? I thought Fury had you working an investigate right now."

"Nat's off tracking someone down for us, so I'm in holding," Barton said. "Let me shower and pack and I'll hit the road. Fury's on land, I'll stop by his office and let him know what's going on. See you soon, Phil."

"Drive safe, Clint. You know how much I worry about you on that bike of yours."

Barton grinned. "Yeah, I know," he said. "Love you, Phil. See you soon."

"Soon."


	41. Chapter 41

"Using yourself as bait is stupid, Phil," Clint said once the bus was in the air. 

"I'll be fine," Coulson replied. "What did Fury say about you coming along on this op?"

"He said it was okay as long as I stayed on the bus and out of sight," Barton sighed. "I don't like you going in alone though, Phil. I'm the one that's supposed to be captured, not you."

Coulson smiled fondly. "I'll be fine, Clint. Our guy will be there within five minutes of them sitting me down in the chair," he said. "Three punches, maybe four. Nothing I can't handle."

"You're going to do it regardless of any argument I give you, aren't you?"

"I have to. We need the intel our plant has, Clint. We need to get him out of there and back to the Hub as soon as possible. This is big."

"Above my level, isn't it?"

"It is."

"All right, say no more," Barton said. He flopped down on the love seat and winced, moving the seat belt out from under him. "I miss your couch, Phil."

Phil sat down next to him. "I miss it too," he said, slipping an arm around Clint's shoulders. "I miss having you stretched out on it, sleeping while I'm doing paperwork and trying not to look at you. I miss being able to spend every night with you, Clint."

There was a noise from the door. Barton sighed. "Your team is nosy, Phil," he said. He kissed Phil's nose and stood up. "I'll be in your bed tonight, I promise. Wear your special suit for me, please?"

"Of course. Clint, stay out of the vents."

"I don't know what you mean, Phil."  
****

"So, how long have you and AC been together?" Skye asked. She, along with FitzSimmons had been left behind on the bus while Ward and May went to provide back-up for Coulson.

Barton just looked over at her for a long moment and then went back to his tablet. He had a few reports due to Fury's office and figured he'd get them done before the new op started.

"No, seriously, how long have you two been dating because Coulson totally doesn't come across as gay," Skye said.

Fitz choked on his water. Simmons looked at her watch and the pair made excuses to go back down to the lab quickly. Clint watched them go, eyes a little softer, but his face totally blank. "That's not any concern of yours," he finally said.

"God, do they like have a class for this?" Skye asked.

"What?"

"You, May and Coulson. I ask a question and your faces all just go stony. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Probably," Barton said. 

"Moving into position now," May said over comms.

"Have fun," Barton said with a grin. "Don't kill anyone I wouldn't."

"Hawkeye, there isn't anyone you wouldn't kill," May said.

"True."

Skye sighed. "What is it about you that makes Coulson and May seem human?"

"Not sure what you mean," Barton said. He closed the file he was working with and headed into the ops room to watch the extraction. He didn't like not being on the team, but they were trying to keep him off-radar for as long as possible. Besides, with May leading there wouldn't be much to do and when Barton got bored around the enemy, he tended to shoot them in non-lethal places for fun. "If you're going to be in here, shut up. This is important."

"And my questions aren't?"

"Skye, shut it," Ward ordered over comms.

Barton nodded to himself and started to track their movement through the tunnels. There was nothing May and Ward couldn't handle and, honestly, Barton had to admire Ward's fighting skills. Maybe they would have to spar before they reached the Hub, just to see what all the younger man had. It also might help bring him out of his shell a little more.

"Package acquired," May said. "Coming home."

"Confirmed. We're waiting for you."

"Start her up, Hawkeye?"

"My pleasure," Barton said. He headed up to the cockpit with a smile.  
****

"Skye is nosy," Clint commented when he and Phil were alone in Coulson's bunk later that night.

"Yes, she is. It's a good trait, but a dangerous one around here," Coulson said.

Barton rolled up onto his side. "Phil, we need to talk somewhere secure with white noise," he said. 

"The cockpit," Coulson said. "Melinda thinks that I don't know about it, but she's put some new toys in there. This something that can't wait?"

"I'm disobeying a direct order from Fury, Phil. They might pull me at the Hub if he finds out."

"You sure you want to tell me?"

"Yeah. I've been hiding something from you, and it's not fair of me," Barton said. "Just, Phil, promise me that you won't hate me for this. Please. I can't lose you again."

"I promise."


	42. Chapter 42

May looked at Barton closely for a long moment and then nodded once. "Thanks, Mel," he said softly. "I'll fly her while you're out."

"I'm staying," May said. "The three of us, we're in this together."

"Are you sure? Fury hasn't given the okay," Clint said. "I'm going against a direct order here."

"I'm sure."

Coulson looked between them. "If you two are done," he said, "I'd really kind of like to know what's been hidden from me."

"Sit down, Phil," Barton said. "This is going to be hard, but I swear on my bow I'm not lying to you. You were stabbed through by Loki and you did die. They're not sure how long, but it was longer than eight seconds. I don't know how the doctors got you back, I wasn't even aware you'd been hurt or died until after the battle. No one told me before I went out, not even Nat. I got back, Fury took me down to see you. All those machine hooked up to you and you were still dying."

"Clint," Coulson said softly, taking his lover's hands. "I'm here. I made it through."

"That's just it, you didn't," Barton said. "You were so close to dying and Fury asked me to make the call you couldn't, Phil. I knew the risks, I knew exactly what I was doing. The one thing I didn't know was how you felt about it. Really, truly, felt about it because when we talked it through, we never talked about that part of it. You're an LMD, Phil. The transfer over is so complete that I keep forgetting about it because you're so you."

"I'm one of the bots?" Coulson asked, blinking a few time, his eyebrows furrowing. "Clint, I can't be. I don't know what Fury told you, but the bots don't bleed. They don't have a sex drive, and they don't get hungry or tired."

"You do," Clint said. "I told R&D that they had no choice in the matter. They had to work out how to make you as human as possible because I believed you were going to wake up and come back to me. I wasn't going to lose you, Phil. I knew you had signed the papers, given the okay for the transfer to be done if you were fatally wounded, but I'm still scared you're going to hate me for what I did to you."

"I will never hate you," Coulson said. "Why didn't you guys just tell me? What about Tahiti?"

"All programmed in," Barton said. "Phil, you were in R&D for close onto a year before they brought you online. That's how long it took for them to get everything working like a human's would. We had to have something for you to believe because the science team believes that telling anyone they're an LMD will cause them to shut down in shock."

Phil took a deep breath. "I don't know if I believe it, but why would I, what, die in shock?"

"Because not everyone is as well-balanced as you are, Phil," Melinda commented. "I knew the truth, too, but we're the only ones. Fury, Clint and me. Everyone else thinks you made it."

"The scar tissue?" Coulson's hand went to his chest.

"Because you're too smart for your own good," Clint said with a small smile. "They created that to make you believe you're still you. Phil, take time to think about it, get into your file. Do whatever you have to do, but don't try to get hurt to prove this to yourself. Your new body is sturdy, but you can still be killed and I can't lose you again."

"Clint." Coulson moved over and perched on the arm of the co-pilot's chair, pulling Barton's head in to rest on his stomach. "This really has been eating at you, hasn't it?"

"We've both been pushing to be allowed to tell you," May said. "Fury wouldn't let us. He's not going to be happy when he finds out we have."

"I'll deal with him," Coulson said. "No one else knows the truth?"

"I think Tony suspects something, but the files aren't anywhere he'll be able to find," Clint said. "Phil, I love you. I know there's still a lot we have to work out, but I couldn't let you die. Not if I could save you."

"It's okay, Clint, I would have done the same if our positions had been reversed," Phil said. "I just can't believe it."

"Get your file," Barton said. "It's classified above me, I can't touch it, so you'll have to be the one to get it, but everything is there. All the spec readouts, everything R&D did to get your body ready for you. The programming. I was there as much as I could be, Phil. I wasn't going to leave you alone when you were in stasis like you were."

"I know, Clint, I know," Phil said. "It's okay. I'm here and I'm still me. It doesn't matter what body I'm in, if this is mine or if it's a robot. I'm still with you and I love you."

May nodded. "That's good, Phil," she said. "Now we just have to keep Fury from finding out we told you. Go belt in, we're at the Hub."


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating today because I'm training a new officer tomorrow. Last update will be Monday :)  
> This story will be the one without new updates immediately after my trip because I'll need to watch the show to get caught up first. Updates as soon as I can.

"Shadow Skye," Coulson whispered to Clint as they were exiting the bus. "We've altered the protocols on her bracelet a little to allow her to work on her laptop, but nothing large. None of the computers here will accept her with that on. I want to know what she does while she's here."

"On it," Barton replied. 

The group picked up their ID badges, Skye raising a fuss when she didn't get one, and headed down towards the main ops room. Clint grinned when he caught sight of Sitwell. The man had been bouncing around a little since the Battle of New York, attempting to take Coulson's place in the main businesses SHIELD ran, but his level was still pretty low to take over everything Coulson had ever done. 

"How the hell could they just all leave me here?" Skye demanded, still trying to get loose. "People are staring at me."

"We all know what the bracelet means," Barton said. He punched in the override code and pulled Skye free. "There, now you're free. The same thing will happen if you go anywhere you're not supposed to be. I'd recommend heading to the mess and finding a snack. Briefing shouldn't take too long and we need to know where to find you."

"So why aren't you in there?"

"Not my op," Barton said. "I've got my own business here. Mess is down that hall, two floors up. They make great pancakes here."

"Pancakes? It's noon."

Barton grinned back over his shoulder. "Always time for pancakes." He vanished around the corner and waited. "Jasper."

"Clint. What's going on?"

"That's Coulson's new girl," Barton replied. "Wants me to shadow her while we're here."

"Rising Tide girl?" Sitwell asked, leaning against the wall next to Clint. "I heard about the op in Hong Kong that she helped blow. Why is she still around?"

"Says she wants to be an agent. She's moving. You coming?"

Sitwell grinned. "Why not, I don't have anything to do for an hour," he said. "Director Fury told me to stay away from this briefing for some reason. It's level 8, but I've been handling a few things at that level."

"Who knows what Director Fury is thinking," Barton grinned. "Huh, looks like she might be taking my advice."

"What did you tell her?"

"To go for pancakes."

"You're terrible."

"It's why they love me," Barton said. "What else has been happening lately, Jasper?"

"Too much and we can barely keep on top of it. Hell, Clint, you've been out on a few of those ops," Sitwell said. "She's spotted us."

"We're hungry," Barton said. "Yeah, the Avengers have been out on some really weird battles the past few months. I don't know what it says to the state of the world, but if I never have to shoot another Doombot I'll be happy. Skye, what's up?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you following me?"

"Nope, just heading for some grub," Barton said with an easy grin. "I don't think you two were introduced. Jasper Sitwell, this is Skye."

"Nice to meet you," Sitwell said. "Would you like to join us for lunch?"

Skye sighed. "Sure, why not?"  
****

"I don't like it, Clint," Coulson said when they were alone on the bus. Ward and Fitz were both packing for their mission. "I don't like a thing about it, but I don't know why I don't like it."

"Your instincts are never wrong, Phil," Clint replied. "Nothing about that has changed. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I'd feel better with another pair of eyes on this op," Phil said. "Think you can do it?"

Barton grinned. "Phil, they won't even know I'm there."


	44. Chapter 44

Ward was able to tune out most of Fitz's rambling. He knew the younger man was scared, probably scared to death, being out on the op, but Ward had to admit that Fitz thought quickly in a tight spot and could hide his panic if he needed to. Getting them out of the bar and to the border crossing was ingenious and better than anything Ward would have been able to think up in the same amount of time. His heart sank when he signaled for the extraction team to move into place and there was no response. He knew what it meant, but he would give Fitz a chance to get out.

Which never happened. Ward was able to get them to the courtyard, but there were too many enemy agents surrounding them to do anything. Fitz had just looked over at Ward, probably to say good-bye, when a man fell over with an arrow through his neck. Two more followed quickly and then the bus showed up and May blew the rest of them away with the engines. Ward grabbed Fitz's arm and they ran out to the extraction point. "Barton."

"You guys did good," Barton replied, eyes scanning behind them. "Fitz, well done."

"Thanks," Fitz managed.

"Go on, I've got our retreat covered," Barton said. He waited for the other two to get up into safety and then backed onto the plane, shooting one last man that thought he could sneak up on them. "Clear, May. Get us out of here."

"Roger."

Barton slid down the closing hatch door and came to rest against Lola. "Coulson's upstairs yelling at a few people," he said, pulling out his com. "You two go and see your team and then come on up to the ops room. We'll debrief then."

"Barton," Ward said, "what were you doing there?"

"Coulson had a bad feeling about the whole thing," Clint said. He stowed his bow and quiver near the wall. "You never ignore it when Coulson gets a bad feeling about something, so he sent me to watch you guys. I wasn't there to see how you did, I was your safety net."

Ward nodded. "Thanks. I didn't think we were going to get out of there."

"Ward, one thing to remember about Phil Coulson," Barton said, starting up the stairs, "he will never leave an agent behind. Ever."

Barton ran up the rest of the stairs and headed for the ops room, not surprised to see Fury on the comm wall. "You disobeyed a direct order, Coulson," Fury was saying when Barton entered the room. "Do you know what a headache this is going to cause for me? SHIELD was not supposed to be near that facility and you had May pilot the bus directly over it."

"My team was in danger, Sir," Coulson said. "I will not abandon them, no matter what orders I might have to the contrary. You know that."

"From what I'm hearing, you've been doing a lot of that lately," Fury said. "You are not out there to question my orders, Coulson. You are out there to be my eyes. My good eye, and I am not about to lose that because someone decides that you're a risk. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Sir," Coulson said.

"Good. Barton, get your ass back home. Something is going on with Thor and I want the Avengers ready to assemble if I need them to," Fury said. "Coulson, your team will stand by for clean-up on whatever happens with Thor. Do you understand me?"

"We'll be awaiting your orders, Sir."

"Good." Fury cut the line after he glared at both of them. Coulson turned and looked at his lover. "So, that happened."

"You're such a rebel now, Phil," Barton grinned. "I think it's hot."

Coulson rolled his eyes. "Clint, you think me breathing is hot."

"Of course I do. Is that a problem?"

"No, it's just that if Thor is about to start fighting aliens on Earth again, the Avengers are going to need to be on stand-by," Coulson said. "Which takes my plans for the evening out of play. I think Fury is a mind-reader and has never told anyone the truth."

"Of course he is. You know that being put on clean-up detail is punishment, right?"

"Just once I wish Thor would clean up after himself. I can't imagine his parents didn't teach him about that."

Barton rolled his eyes. "You haven't seen the common room when Thor, Cap and Tony are done with a movie," he said. "I don't care of Tony pays for people to come in and has JARVIS controlling the roombas around the Tower. There should not be popcorn stuck to the TV."

"Somehow, I think maybe I have it easier," Coulson said. He leaned over and kissed Clint softly. "Be careful. Aliens and magic aren't things we were able to train for."

"Yeah, but I'm learning on my feet," Clint said. "Once you face off with Dr. Strange a few times, you learn to keep moving. That's the best defense you have."

"I'll keep it in mind. Once this is over with, maybe you can brief the team on magic, monsters and aliens."

"If Fury doesn't kill me first," Barton said. "Have May drop me on the Helicarrier? I can get a ride to the assembly point from there."

"Call me when you're done so I know you're safe?"

"Always."


	45. Chapter 45

“Okay, so let me make sure I understand this,” Skye said, sitting down across from Ward at one of the smaller tables. “Thor, one of the Avengers, is taking on an alien threat and we don’t know what world he’s going to be fighting in, so we’ve been placed on stand-by for some reason.”

“Clean-up,” Ward said. 

“Why clean-up?” Skye asked. “We’ve totally taken on worse things than this before. Why can’t we go and help him?”

May glanced over at Coulson, who was sitting off to the side. “Because humans mixed up in the affairs of gods end up dying,” she said. “It’s better for the Avengers to help Thor out if he needs any aid while he’s here.”

“Most of them are human,” Skye said. “Okay, yeah, Banner isn’t really human any more, and there’s some doubt about Stark, but the rest of them are.”

“Bruce Banner is more human than most people I know,” Coulson snapped, standing up. “The Avengers are a team of men and women that fight because they want to defend the planet, not huddle away for fear of getting hurt.”

Skye blinked a few times as Coulson stormed up the stairs to his office. “Okay, so what’s going on with him? He’s been upset ever since Barton left.”

“It’s classified,” May said. “Ward, check with HQ and see if there’s a status update on the battle, and keep Skye off the computers.”

“Again?” Skye asked.

Ward glanced over. “Until you learn what that word means, yes,” he said.  
****

May shut the door to Coulson’s office behind her and sat down next to him on the sofa. “We need to get you a white noise filter in here,” she said softly. “What’s bugging you, Phil? You’ve been short since Clint left.”

“I did what he said, tried to get my file from archive,” Coulson replied. “They denied me.”

“Are you really surprised by that?” May asked.

“No, but I had some hope that maybe, just maybe, Nick wouldn’t lie to me,” Coulson said. “I guess it was a foolish hope.”

“Can we ever really say that hope of any sort is foolish?”

“Maybe, maybe not. The fact remains that Fury has locked my file away from me. By now, he has to know that I attempted to access it. How long will it be before he figures everything out, Melinda?”

She shrugged. “It’s Fury. I’m sure he planned for something like this. No matter how much he yells, he does count you as one of his few friends, Phil,” May said. “Think about it. How many agents could get away with blowing a hole in the side of a brand new piece of tech and get off with a yelling session?”

Coulson managed a small smile. “I have no friends that know I’m alive that are level eight, Melinda,” he said. “There’s no way for me to get into my file to find out the truth about what I am now. Do you know how that burns?”

“Phil, you are you,” she said. “I know you’ve been feeling wrong for a while now, but Clint and I are telling you the truth here. It’s a shock, and probably the reason for all the restrictions to be put in place, but you’re strong enough to work past it. I know you are because Clint isn’t the only one who needs you.”

“I know,” Coulson said. “Can you imagine what all I’m feeling right now, Melinda?”

“No, I can’t. I don’t have the points of reference for any of it,” she said. “I do think we should talk about it somewhere other than the bus though. If I know Fury, he has the place bugged.”

“I’m sure he does. I know that I would,” Coulson said with another small smile. “Clint knew what he was walking into there, Melinda. I’m sure that our turns will come soon enough.”

“Unless he’s hoping this alien threat Thor is facing is going to finish us off first,” May said.  
****

Barton looked up from the screen he was studying on the bridge when he felt someone staring at him, and only one person could stare hard enough for him to be able to pick it up from across the room. “Director.”

“My office, Barton.”

“Do I have time to get coffee?” Barton asked, following Fury out into the hall. “You look like you haven’t had your thirty cups today, Sir. Are you trying to cut back?”

“Barton, if you are trying to distract me from the lecture you are facing, then you need to know the only thing you are doing right now is pissing me off,” Fury said. “I suggest you shut your mouth until I tell you that you can talk again.”

Face impassive, Barton noticed three level two techs trying to hide how hard they were pressed back against the wall, and he followed along behind Fury without another word. He knew exactly why the Director wanted to talk to him, but he hoped that he would have a chance to explain his reasoning before Fury ordered him to the brig for the foreseeable future.

“Sit. Do you want to tell me, Agent Barton, exactly why Phil Coulson called and attempted to access his medical file?” Fury asked once they were in his office and the door shut behind them.

“I’m not the only one that’s been telling you that he’s been asking questions, Sir,” Barton said. “Phil isn’t stupid. You call him your good eye, I think that you’ve had him gone for so long that you’ve forgotten how much he actually sees.”

“So you and Melinda May didn’t go against a direct order and tell Coulson about every procedure he underwent while he was in medical?” Fury asked.

“The labs said that telling him would cause such a shock that he’d shut down, Sir,” Barton said. “Why would I put him through all of this, including stasis for a year to keep him alive until his new body was ready, if I was just going to kill him when I got him back?”

Fury sat and stared at Barton for a long minute. “You know the last person that lied to me still hasn’t been found.”

“Rumor says pieces of him have started to show up.”

“I know you’ve told him, Barton.”

“He’s not dead, Nick,” Barton said softly.

“So you want a reward for being right that Phil Coulson is so well-balanced that he can handle the news that he’s a LMD and deal with it?” Fury asked. “When I should be sending you to the brig for daring to disobey a direct order?”

“He survived because it was me that told him,” Barton replied. “He’s still with us because he knows that I won’t lie to him, and he trusts me. Locking him out of his file is going to throw him, Nick. It’ll make him question too many things and could cause more problems than you’re expecting.”

“There’s no precedent to deal with a situation like this,” Fury admitted with a sigh. “I’m flying blind, Clint.”

“No you’re not, Sir. You have me, Mel, and Phil watching things,” Barton said. “When this mess with Thor is all over with, call Phil in and talk with him, Nick. Show him that you do trust him because, right now, if I know my husband, he’s tearing himself up over the lack of trust you’re showing in him.”

“I’m still waiting to see the damn paperwork on that, Barton.”

Barton grinned. “Haven’t you heard, Nick? Tony’s determined to arrange things for us,” he said. “Phil and I have agreed to lay low until something new and more interesting catches Tony’s eye and then we’re going to have a small ceremony for our family.”

“Clint, what happens as you get older?”

“I don’t know, Nick. I think that, unless something drastic happens, Phil will shut down when I’m gone,” Barton said. “I know that I wouldn’t have survived if he’d died before we were able to get him into stasis. But this is all assuming that I live to get old. Being an Avenger, Nick, I might not live that long at all.”

“You are not to do anything stupid to try and get your ass killed so you can go into your LMD, do you understand me?” Fury demanded.

“I’m not that crazy,” Barton said. “Besides, Phil would probably kill me if I did that.”

“You know that he would. Do not think that I’m going to forget this, Barton.”

“Of course not. I’ll wait for the other shoe to drop,” Barton said. “Can I get back up to the bridge, Sir? I want to be ready if Thor and the others need me for anything.”

“Dismissed,” Fury said. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the door long after it shut behind the archer. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he didn’t think that punishment was the right track to take. Barton was still beating himself up over the attack that ended in Phil’s almost death too much to even try something like that. Training a batch of green recruits hand-to-hand should be just about right. Fury made a note of it, along with one barring the Black Widow from joining him, and went back to his paperwork. Alien invasions caused more than normal.


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stealing lines here and there from the episode over the next few chapters. :)

Coulson stood and looked over the mess surrounding him for a long moment. Somehow, and he wasn’t sure how it was even possible, the mess was worse than the last time Thor’s battles had come to Earth. Given that the Avengers hadn’t been called in, he wasn’t sure how one God could cause so much destruction. With a small sigh, Coulson directed his team to different areas of the room and grabbed a pair of gloves for himself. 

“Take this.” 

“What is it?” Skye asked, taking the large plastic tub from him.

“It’s a large plastic tub,” Coulson replied.

“Yeah, I can see that, but what’s it for?”

Coulson picked up a piece of what appeared to be alien tech and dropped it in the tub. “Follow me,” he said.

“Great. Alien garbage collection,” Skye said.

May was looking over some pieces of wood when her comm activated. “Mel, it’s me,” Barton said. “Fury knows the truth. I’ve asked him to release the file to Phil, but it’s all down to you finishing up this clean-up mission first.”

“How bad was it?” she asked softly.

“Not nearly as bad as we were expecting,” Barton said. “I think that Fury is just about as lost as we are. I’ve been assigned to a group of greenies to whip into shape. I don’t know why Fury thinks this is punishment.”

“True, you’ve always enjoyed teaching the kids,” May said. “Phil’s complaining about Thor’s lack of cleaning.”

Barton laughed. “Yep, I can see that. I reminded Phil that I live with Thor half the time and know exactly how messy he can be,” he said. “I’d come help you guys out, but Fury’s got his eye on me for I don’t know how long. Comm chatter is probably my only hope of seeing you guys for a while.”

“I’ll find a way to land us in New York,” May said. “I’ve got to go. Be careful.”

“You too.”

May focused back on Skye’s chatter just in time to hear a comment about the alien spaceship. “So we could clean that up, too?” she asked.

“Oh, come on. Isn’t flying an alien spaceship on your bucket list?” Skye said.

“In my experience, anything alien in human hands doesn’t end well,” Coulson said, dropping something in the tub.

“I’d just like to get my hands on Thor,” Skye said. “He’s dreamy.”

“Sure, he’s good looking,” Coulson started.

“No, he’s dreamy,” May said, only to see what sort of expression would cross Coulson’s face. Sometimes poking at him was the most fun she could have in the field.  
****  
Coulson was helping with a large piece of tech when his phone rang. He activated his comm so he could keep working. “Coulson.”

“Get your ass to Norway,” Fury said. “Something’s happening and I want to know what the hell is going on.”

“What about clean-up, Sir?”

“As Fitz pointed out, trained monkeys could do that,” Fury said. “Now, Coulson.”

“Yes, Sir,” Coulson said. He glanced back over his shoulder. “May, round up the team. We have an assignment.”

“So our punishment detail is over?” May asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Coulson replied. “Get everyone onto the bus and get us in the air. From the tone in the Director’s voice, this needs to be addressed yesterday.”  
****

Coulson waited until May joined the team in the ops room before starting the outline received from SHIELD. “Two park rangers encountered a pair of hikers in the forest,” he said, pulling up a file. “One of the rangers is dead, having been hit or thrown well over a thousand feet by an unknown force. Autopsy is pending. There are no cameras in this part of the park, so we have one eye witness that escaped whatever it was that happened to his partner. Additionally, we have an old tree cut down with a wound cut into it about two thirds of the way up the trunk. As you can see, there’s a circle of stones around the stump of the tree. Fitz?”

“Stone circles are usually found in mythology,” Fitz said. “It’s not really my area, Simmons’ either, but we can read up on them and see if there’s anything in the regional mythology for where our tree is located.”

“Give me the basics now,” Coulson said.

“That’s just it, Sir, there’s basics all over depending on what culture you’re looking at,” Fitz said. “Personally, I can think of two reasons, things I learned growing up, and I think that Simmons knows them too.”

“Druids and elves,” Simmons said. “Some say that the stones are raised as a protective barrier, a force field if you will, to keep elves from invading our world. I would have to see the stones in question, see what sort of mineral content they have, but I don’t think that’s the right mythology for this part of the world. Give us an hour, Sir, and we’ll have something for you before we’re on the ground.”

“Do that,” Coulson said. “Ward, you and Simmons are coming out into the field with me. Skye, basic computer access is allowed. Get on the internet and see what you can find for me about anyone that’s been talking about the forest or something that might be worth killing for. Fitz, I want you in the lab. May....”

“I’ll stand-by,” she said with a nod.

“Review the material, everyone. We’re on the ground in three hours,” Coulson said.  
****

Fitz closed the file and leaned back with a sigh. “He is going to kill us.”

“Now Fitz, don’t be so negative,” Simmons said. “Coulson understands that it’s not always possible to find the answers right away. As long as we keep looking and don’t give up, he’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, but we promised to have something for him. We’ve got nothing. Not even a name.”

“You know that reporting a negative can be just as good as a positive,” Simmons said.

“So you haven’t found anything?” Coulson asked from the doorway. “I wasn’t expecting you to, at least not as fast as you said you would. Freya is the one linked to the circles, and that’s only loosely. Frigga is Thor’s mother, one of the only females we know. I don’t think that elves are going to be the answer either.”

Simmons shut the book she’d been reading. “Sir, you seem to know a lot about this.”

“I was on the team that responded to Thor’s hammer,” Coulson said. “I learned quite a lot back then. Get ready to head out into the field, Simmons. You’ll be working closely with Ward while I talk with the park ranger to see what we can find out about our mystery attackers. We’ll talk more about the possibility of stone circles linking up with Norse mythology when we’re done in the field.”

“Sir, is it possible there’s another explanation?” Simmons asked.

“There’s always another explanation,” Coulson replied. “Sometimes it’s the second one that we don’t like, but it’s the only one that makes sense.”

Fitz waited until he was sure they were alone, knowing how Coulson liked to lurk, and how quietly the man could move. “That answer didn’t make any sense, did it?”

“I think that was a small gem of wisdom from Agent Coulson that we are never going to understand,” Simmons replied. “No matter how hard we try. Are you okay staying here while I’m out in the field? I don’t want to worry you.”

“Simmons, you’ll be with Ward and Coulson. If anything gets past them to you, there’s nothing that would stop it,” Fitz said. “We’ll be in constant contact. I know you’ll be fine. You have to do this for yourself.”

“It’s just that, I don’t know how to explain it, Fitz.”

He moved around and sat down next to her. “I do. The last time you were out in the field, you almost died,” he said. “We’re not trained for dying, Simmons. We’re trained to be in the lab finding the answers, but it’s like you told me when we first were asked to join this team. Sometimes finding the answers is going to mean leaving our safety zone and we have to trust to the others to keep us safe. If you don’t go out this time, you will never be able to go out in the field again.”

“Do you think I’m silly to be worrying about it so much?”

“Of course I don’t. You almost died, Jemma. I almost lost you, and that’s something I would never be able to recover from,” Fitz said. “But I trust you to be safe and sensible out in the field, and to listen to Ward. He got me back safe when there was no hope for us to get out. I know he’ll do the same for you, no matter what, and if he can’t, then Coulson will. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have watching over you out there when I can’t.”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re right, Fitz. I have to do this, no matter how badly I’m shaking at the idea,” Simmons said. 

“Make sure you use the straps on the gear,” Fitz said with a small smile.


	47. Chapter 47

There were days when Coulson hated being right. He shut himself in his office and called Fury. “We need Thor, Sir.”

“Off the grid,” Fury replied. “We have no way to contact him at this time.”

“So that means that Stark hasn’t worked out some way to circumvent the whole other dimension rule and give Thor a cell phone that works across space and time?” Coulson asked.

“If he has, he’s holding back on the number,” Fury replied, a hint of a smile in his voice. “That does sound like something Stark would do though, doesn’t it?”

“Yes it does,” Coulson said. “You have my initial report, Sir. We’re heading to Seville to talk with Dr. Randolph about the model of the staff we found in the tree. Lacking Thor, I think he’s our best chance at finding answers.”

“That’s the guy you talked to about the hammer, right?”

“Yes, Sir,” Coulson said. “He’s eccentric, has his own way of doing things, but he knows his Norse mythology and that’s what we need right now. My team, apart from Skye, is insisting that there is a base in science for everything that’s happening.”

Fury snorted. “You need to get them out more, Coulson,” he said. “This isn’t a world of reason anymore. Hell, if it was, I wouldn’t be having to deal with a God of Thunder on a regular basis, and Stark wouldn’t be bitching about his insurance company not covering acts of said god.”

“I think I’m glad you gave me a different posting, Sir,” Coulson said. “I’ll find the answers for you, it’s just going to take me a little more time and travel than I thought it would. At least we know who it is we’re dealing with.”

“Two people leading a pagan group that think they’ve become gods because of some damn fool piece of metal they found in a tree,” Fury said. “Someone needs to remind them that no one can become a god by butchering people. Only thing that turns you into is a monster.”

“I’ll be sure to pass the message along, Sir,” Coulson said.

“Report in when you’re done with Randolph.”

“Yes, Sir,” Coulson said. He terminated the feed and punched in the number for the Tower. It was a long shot, but he had to try.

“Agent,” Tony said, appearing on the video screen, “what can I do for you on this, wait, JARVIS, what’s the weather like outside today?”

Coulson bit back a sigh. Stark tended to give him a headache. “Is Barton there, Stark?” he asked.

“Down in the training room, I think. Something about punishment detail and making kids cry or something,” Tony replied. “JARVIS, route the feed down to the training room.”

“Thank you,” Coulson said just before the image flipped over. He winced when Natasha slammed Barton down onto the mats. “Agent Romanov, I would appreciate it if you didn’t break my husband.”

“Phil,” Barton said, twisting his head around a little. “Come on, Nat, let me up. Everything okay, Phil?”

“I don’t suppose any of you have a way to get in touch with Thor, do you?” Coulson asked. “I need his advice on a mission.”

The pair looked at each other and finally both shrugged. “Only thing I can think of is go out in an open space, light eight candles and shout up at the sky,” Barton finally said. “Whatever his name is will hear you and pass the message along to Thor, well, if he’s on Asgard anyway. He hasn’t gone off the grid like this in a while, and none of us are sure what it means.”

“Story of my life,” Coulson said. “I’ll reserve the shouting until I’ve exhausted all my other options, Clint. Unless you would like to do it for me.”

“If you think it’d help you out,” Barton said. “We still have the candles, right, Nat?”

She nodded. “In the living room,” Natasha said. “How soon do you need the advice, Coulson?”

“Yesterday,” Coulson sighed. “Check the news in Oslo. That’s my mission.”

“The two idiots running around claiming to be gods?” Barton asked.

“Those would be the ones,” Coulson replied. “I’ve got a lead to information, but it’ll take time, and that’s something I don’t think we have. The scan Simmons found in the wood shows breaking, as if there’s more parts to it out there. Those two are going to be looking for them as well, and this is a race against time that I don’t know we can win.”

“We’ll make the call as soon as the sun sets,” Barton said. “He might not be there, Phil. It’s possible no one will reply, but we’ll try.”

“Thank you,” Coulson said. “Let me know if you hear anything.”

“I will,” Barton said.  
****

No matter how many times he faced the unknown in his job, Coulson never liked it. Sending his team into the unknown was even worse. Skye’s findings on the computer scared him, and Coulson knew there was a limited amount of time to find the missing pieces of the staff before the two suspects managed to work out the rhyme puzzled and get to them first. Next time Thor showed up on Earth, Coulson planned to have a long talk with him about other possible Asgardian weapons that might have been left on the planet in the past. A staff that invoked the rage of twenty warriors in the hands of a human would only end badly.

“It must be nice,” Fitz said, breaking into Coulson’s thoughts. “Having an mandatory nap in the middle of the day.”

“Siesta isn’t mandatory,” Coulson said, thinking about Barton naked with water still beading on his body from their shared shower, “just really pleasant.” He focused back on Ward and Skye, both underground, searching for the staff.

“Ward, you’re close to something,” Fitz said. “It’s right in front of you.”

“I don’t see anything.”

“Wait, it’s moving,” Fitz said.

Coulson’s attention shifted from the screen to his surroundings. Something wasn’t right. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that said one of his people was in danger. The report that Skye found Ward unconscious only eased it a little. Finding Randolph at the scene of the crime, or at least the car flipping, made it worse.  
****

He knew he wasn’t going to get anything, but he had to try. If there was one thing Coulson learned in his many years working for SHIELD, anything was possible. He recalled, wryly, the one young man in R&D that was transferred to a remote base for asking what was the worst that could happen. They never found out because his supervisor was smarter and stopped the young man starting up the machine he’d been working on for six months. It was still classified and buried away with other items that made SHIELD nervous.

Ward coming to him wasn’t unexpected either. Coulson had been able to read the restrained anger in the younger man and wondered if Ward would admit to it being a problem or not. He’d never been tested so strongly before, at least according to his files, and sudden unrestrained anger and strength could swing a person one of two ways. Coulson had an opinion on which way Ward was going to go, and he was happy to be proven right. The trust that Ward had in him was unexpected, and Coulson wondered exactly what Clint and Ward had been talking about recently, but Ward took the knife and headed down to the interrogation room without question.

“You’re right, Sir; he’s Asgardian,” Ward said, looking back.

“I’m glad, otherwise that would have been really embarrassing,” Coulson replied. That this was his life made him want to go back to Stark Tower and be liaison for the Avengers. It would certainly be less stressful.  
****

“Phil.”

“Clint, hey,” Coulson said, putting his pen down. “What’s up?”

“Nat and I sent the message for you,” Barton said. “I’m en route to meet you in Ireland.”

That surprised Coulson a little. “Fury okayed that?”

“I’m technically escort for the team taking the artifact to containment,” Barton said. “I think Fury realized that he wasn’t going to be able to stop me sticking my nose into this at the end of things and just gave up.”

“Don’t push him, Clint. We’re really making trouble for Fury right now, and he can only be pushed so far before he’s going to snap and we both end up under lock and key for an unknown period of time,” Coulson said.

“I think he’s thinking about it with me,” Barton grinned. “Hopefully you’ll have the piece of the staff in your control when we arrive.”

“This group we’re up against is smart, Clint. I’m going in with the assumption that they’ve managed to work out where it is and will be heading towards Ireland too,” Coulson said. “I hope I’m disappointed.”

“I do, too. How’s Ward holding up?”

“He has a handle on the anger for now,” Coulson said. “He’s aware of the problem and is actively working to control it. May is keeping a close eye on him for any sign of slipping, and will let me know if it happens.”

“Mel’s the best one to do it,” Barton said. “Whoops, incoming.”

“Clint?”

Barton snorted. “Thor’s here, Phil,” he said. “I wish he wouldn’t land on top of the damn jets. Throws the balance to hell and back. I’ll fill him in. You guys be careful and hopefully I’ll be there before any fighting breaks out.”

“We’ve landed. I don’t think there’s enough time, Clint.”

“No doing anything stupid.”

“That’s you, Barton,” Coulson said fondly. “See you when you get here.”


	48. Chapter 48

Barton and Thor paused in the door and looked around the room. No one was moving, although Barton could still see a few people breathing. Thor’s gaze landed on the staff. “Your friends have suffered much, Hawkeye,” he said. “That should never have remained behind in this realm. Allow me to aid them in their healing and then I shall take the staff back to Asgard where no mortal may be tempted by it again.”

“Thanks,” Coulson said, coming up behind them. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard since this op started.”

“Son of Coul, you are injured,” Thor exclaimed, seeing all the blood.

“It’s not mine, I had to keep someone alive,” Coulson said. “Go talk with Ward, please, Thor. He’s really hurting badly.”

“If you are indeed all right,” Thor said. At the nod, he turned and walked slowly to where Ward and May were sitting next to each other and settled down on the floor with them. Ward flinched away at first, but Thor started talking to him quietly and the young man settled down.

Barton sighed. “People always see Thor as a warrior, they forget he’s also a prince,” he said. “He takes any harm from anyone or anything on his planet against us personally and very seriously. Asgard is in good hands.”

“I’d say the Earth is too,” Coulson said. “How many are still alive, Clint? I wasn’t watching the fight down here, I was too busy keeping Randolph alive.”

“Randolph? Your expert in all things Norse? That guy?”

“Turns out he’s from Asgard,” Coulson said with a small sigh. “It’s a long story, Clint, but I think he’s going to sneak out before Thor realizes the truth.”

“Just as long as he doesn’t try to take that staff with him.”

“He won’t. He hates it,” Coulson said.

Barton looked over. “Go get cleaned up, Phil,” he said. “I’ve got this and that blood can’t feel good.”

“You sure?”

“Restraints on bad guys, dead ones in body bags, live ones in custody, Thor has Ward and May,” Barton said. “I’ll watch Skye and Thor’s going to take the staff with him.”

“Okay, I’ll be back in a minute,” Coulson said.

“Take your time.” Barton turned to look at the support crew that was waiting just outside the door. “Okay guys, let’s get to it. God-issue restraints on all bad guys, I don’t care if they aren’t breathing, I want them secure. We don’t know what the side-effects of that weapon are and it’s possible we could have some very angry people on our hands when they wake up. Dead ones in body bags, seal them up and get them out of here. Skye?”

“What’s Thor doing to Ward?” she asked softly.

“Helping. Ward won’t ever be able to forget the trauma that’s torn his soul, but Thor can help ease the pain from the wound,” Barton said. “You can go sit next to him. Ward’s going to fall asleep when Thor’s done. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your superior officer is be there for them, show them that you’ve got their back.”

“Like you do A.C.?” she asked.

“Not just him,” Barton replied.  
****

Barton wasn’t surprised when his lover almost passed out as soon as they were in Coulson’s bunk that night. He wasn’t sure how long Coulson had been working, but even with his new body, he could still feel fatigue. Barton covered him up and left him there, going into the office to make a report to Director Fury.

“The staff is on Asgard, Sir,” he said softly.

“Thor?”

“Nat and I were able to get in touch and he came to help out,” Barton said. “Of the hostiles, only two survived and they, along with the bodies, are being transported to secure holding until someone can work out how best to help them heal. Thor did a little, but he said they’d been under the sway of the anger too long for him to help as much as he did with our people.”

Fury nodded. “Ward and May?” he asked.

“Sleeping. Thor spent the most time with Ward and managed to help drain off the anger and hate that was pouring from the newly opened wound,” Barton replied. “Mel’s going to be okay. She’s lived with what she’s done for too long for Thor to really help her out, but he did what he could.”

“Coulson?”

“Worn out and asleep. He’ll make his report tomorrow, Nick,” Barton said. “I think he pushed himself a little too hard this time around.”

“Sounds like everything is well in hand,” Fury said. “I had my doubts about letting you go out on this one, Barton, but it was the right choice. I don’t know anyone else that would have been able to work with Thor properly.”

“Any of the Avengers, Sir,” Barton grinned. “Randolph, he’s from Asgard. We’ve got a long leash on him, but he’s in the wind. Coulson says that he wants peace and quiet.”

“Until he proves otherwise, we’ll give it to him. The only reason I’m willing to do that is because he’s lived his life under ever radar on the planet. Anyone wanting to make trouble would have slipped up at least once,” Fury said. “Where is he now?”

“Portland,” Barton said with a grin.

“Coulson,” Fury sighed. “I’ll alert our team there and have them make visual contact with him. Now, you have a class in two days, Agent Barton. I do not want to hear that you were late.”

“We’re on our way home, Sir,” Barton said. “I’ll be in to prep late tomorrow night.”

“Good.”

Barton nodded and killed the feed, leaning back in Coulson’s chair with a sigh. A small scream from the other room had him up and running before anything else registered. Coulson was curled up on his side clutching his chest. “Phil. It’s okay. It’s phantom pain, Phil,” he said, climbing into the bunk. “It’s okay.”

“Why did you guys program that in?” Coulson gasped, body shaking. “Why, Clint?”

“Program what, Phil?” Barton asked.

“Tahiti,” Coulson said. “Ask me about it. I can’t say it unless someone asks me about it.”

“Phil, what are you talking about?”

“Just ask me,” Coulson almost shouted.

“Phil, tell me about Tahiti.”

“It’s a magical place,” Coulson said, almost crying.

Barton gathered him up into a hug. “That wasn’t us, Phil,” he said, rocking his lover softly. “That wasn’t us.”

“So where did it come from?” Coulson asked.

“I don’t know,” Barton replied. “I don’t, but we’ll find out. Someone is hurting you, Phil, and they are not going to get away with it.”


	49. Chapter 49

"When did you first notice it?" Barton asked once Coulson had calmed down a little more.

"A few weeks ago, but I asked Melinda and she said I've been saying it for months," Coulson replied. "Any time anyone asks me about Tahiti, I say that and only that. It's like a post-hypnotic suggestion, Clint. Why would something like that have been programmed in when they were uploading everything else?"

"I don't know, Phil," Barton said. He settled down behind his lover and pulled him in tightly. "I don't, but I'll find out."

"Nick knows," Coulson said. "He knows something that he hasn't told anyone else, not even you or Melinda. There's something he's still hiding about me, Clint. What is it? Why won't he let me see my medical files?"

Barton sighed. "I talked with him about that and he said he would release them after the clean-up op in London," he said. "With this though, is it possible that you wouldn't get the real files? I think that maybe it's time to ask someone for help, Phil. I hate to think that we can't trust the Director, but I want to know what's been done to you."

"Who would you ask for help?"

"Tony would be my first pick," Barton said. "He'd do it just for a chance to piss Fury off, but I'm worried that he might talk at the wrong time and then too many people would know the truth. I know you trust her, but I don't, so we can't ask Skye. She's still too untested for me to trust her with a secret this big."

"Let me talk with Fury before you go to Stark," Coulson said. "It's possible that he'll give me the real file because I've proven that I'm not going to turn myself off in shock at finding out I'm an LMD. I just want to know what the hell is happening with Tahiti. If I was never there, why am I dreaming of my physical therapist like I am?"

"We didn't give you a physical therapist, Phil," Barton said. "I saw the whole story they were going to code and upload into your system and you had a doctor, not a physical therapist. I remember that because I objected to that point because you might be suspicious of a doctor going all that way to help with your recovery, but the team working said it was the best way to go."

"Is it possible they changed their minds at the last minute and wrote her in?" Coulson asked. "It does make more sense to have a physical therapist there than a doctor, regardless of how severe my injuries were."

"I think that someone screwed up somewhere," Barton replied with a low growl. "The doctor was supposed to be male, and one that you knew from SHIELD. Reynolds, the one that retired a couple of years ago. That was going to be the cover story, he came out of retirement to help you heal up in Tahiti. There was no mention of women anywhere."

Coulson shuddered and turned over, tucking his head under Barton's chin. "I can still feel her hands on me, Clint," he admitted. "Her whispering to me that Tahiti is a magical place. It's like she was trying to suck me into another dimension or something, claim me for her own and never let me go again. I forced myself awake, and I don't want to go back to sleep again. What if she's still there waiting for me?"

"She'll have me to deal with," Barton said. "No one touches my husband and gets away with it."

"You know that we're going to have to actually get married one of these days," Coulson said. "Can I even get married now?"

"You'd better," Barton said. "You're still you, Phil, and I don't care what the casing is. I'd marry you if you were in one of those battle droids from Star Wars as long as you could prove you still loved me."

"I will always love you," Coulson said, pressing a kiss to the skin near his mouth. "Come with me tomorrow to talk with Fury?"

"You're going to have to tie me to your bunk to keep me out of that meeting," Barton said. "You need to sleep, Phil. I know you're scared, but I'm right here. Remember the old man we met up in Alaska that taught us about focused dreaming? Directing our dreams so we could work while we were asleep?"

"Yeah."

"Focus on me as you're going to sleep and take me into your dream with you," Barton said. "I'll keep talking while you're falling asleep, but think of us in our apartment in New York. Just the two of us there, alone, watching the snow fall while drinking hot chocolate on the sofa. Remember that night? It was the first time we spent the night just cuddling in close to two months because we'd both been so busy that sex had been hurried and usually in the shower. We watched the snow falling until we fell asleep curled up on the sofa together and woke up on the floor tangled in the blankets and each other."

"One of my favorite memories," Coulson said, eyes closing.

"Our first night without a call out in over a month. Under our favorite blankets, not talking, just enjoying the silence around us," Barton said. "I loved you before that night, Phil, but that was the night I realized that I was in the relationship for life. That was the night I realized that I had found my home and I was never going to let it go. I'll be by your side until the end of time, Phil Coulson. I'll find out what's happening and fix it, and then we'll figure out the rest day by day."

"Love you," Coulson muttered, nuzzling in.

Barton managed to kiss the top of his head. "Love you too."


	50. Chapter 50

"Where's May?" Coulson asked the next morning, looking around the common area of the plane.

"She took off, said she had something to do," Skye replied. "Ward's on base for something. Did you need the team?"

"No, I need May for a meeting," Coulson said. "If she checks in, have her call me. Barton, let's move."

Barton appeared out of what looked like nowhere to Skye and fell in behind Coulson. "Later gang," he said with a grin. He waited until Lola was out of the plane before he spoke again. "Who are they fooling?"

"I know," Coulson said with a grin. "Well, apparently Skye and FitzSimmons, but it doesn't surprise me at all. Not after what they both suffered with the staff."

"True," Barton agreed. "They just need to be a little more careful about being off the plane at the same time. Your team isn't clueless, although we might be gossip enough to keep Ward and Mel safe."

"What do you think about the two of them together?"

"If it works for them, why not?" Barton said. "I'm still not fond of Ward, but he's growing as an agent every time I talk to him. I see him opening up more to the team and trusting them. He's not quite a different man from your first mission, but I'm more willing to spar with him than drop water bombs on his head."

Coulson grinned. "High praise indeed then," he said. "What about Skye?"

"She's still an unknown," Barton said. "I can tell that she wants to help people, to be a SHIELD agent, but she's got to learn to at least make an effort to stay within the basic guidelines put out there for us. Fury only allows so much thinking outside the box, and generally only from people that have proven they deserve the chance to do it. I think she has the potential to get there, but she has a long way to go."

"My assessment as well. Skye seems to think that our team was assembled to break every rule SHIELD has in place," Coulson said. "I'm trying to keep her inside the mission parameters, but I have to keep restricting her access to the computers. It's getting tiring."

"It's too bad you can't just turn her loose and let her learn the hard way," Barton said.

"She proved she can't be trusted on her own yet," Coulson said. "In fact, she's lucky that it was May that found her first. I wouldn't have been so lenient with her, finding her half-naked in the bedroom with a suspect."

Barton glanced over. "Yeah, you shot the guy you found me with," he said. 

"He touched you, he deserved it," Coulson said. "I don't care what your mission specs were, he had no business touching your ass. That's mine and he didn't need that knee anyway."

"It was just as well I'd already gotten the information from him," Barton said. He rested his hand on Phil's leg. "I think it's hot when you're serious and holding a gun."

"As I've pointed out, Barton, you find me breathing hot," Coulson said. "Hands off, we're at base."

"Spoilsport." Barton shifted into his own seat for the security check and followed Coulson through the halls and up to Fury's office.

Coulson tapped on the door twice and pushed it open. "Director Fury, Sir, I formally request access to my medical file," he said, letting Barton shut the door behind him.

"You do?" Fury asked, leaning back in his chair. "What are you hoping to find in your file, Coulson?"

"Answers to why I'm dreaming about a woman I've never met that is attempting to suck my soul into another dimension," Coulson said.

Barton bit back a smile when Fury actually blinked. It was very rare for the Director of SHIELD to be surprised by anything, but Coulson managed it. "Sit down and tell me everything," Fury said. "You too, Barton."

"Since my return to the field, any time anyone asks me about Tahiti, I respond with a certain phrase, Sir," Coulson said. "I can't say it on my own without prompting. It's a type of post-hypnotic suggestion, I believe, rather than miscoding in my circuits."

"God damn it, he did tell you," Fury snarled.

"I'm still here, Sir."

"Barton, you and will will be talking about this again," Fury said. "Now what the hell are you talking about, Phil? I saw everything they coded in for you and there's nothing there about any suggestions, post-hypnotic or otherwise."

Coulson glanced over at Barton, who nodded. "Phil, tell us about Tahiti," he said softly.

"It's a magical place," Coulson replied. He started shaking and only stopped when Barton pulled him into a hug.

"Someone messed with him, Sir," Barton said. "I don't know who, I don't know what, but I want answers and I will start hurting people if I don't get them."

"What about this woman?" Fury asked.

"I think she was supposed to be my physical therapist," Coulson said. "In the dream last night, she was giving me a massage and I could hear the waves in the background on the sand. I asked if I fell asleep and she said it was fine. I made a comment about how nice Tahiti was and she leaned over me and said that."

"He screamed and woke up, Nick," Barton said softly. "It took over an hour for him to fall back asleep. I stayed awake to be sure he was okay and we came here immediately after we woke up this morning. Tell me what the hell you've done to him."

"We didn't do anything," Fury said.

"Then what the hell is going on?" Barton demanded.

"I don't know," Fury admitted. "Phil, Clint, the transfer into the LMD is still a really uncertain idea and it's possible we don't understand it fully. Phil, will you be willing to undergo some tests?"

Coulson looked up. "You are not shutting me off," he said. "You are not taking life away from me."

Fury sighed. "Then give me some time to get things set up here," he said. "There's a case of possible telekinisis out in Utah. Take your team and Agent Romanov and find out what the hell is going on out there."

"Why can't I go, Sir?" Barton asked.

"Because you're going to stay here and make sure that every test medical and the lab come up with won't hurt your husband," Fury said.

"Phil?"

"I'll be okay," Coulson said. "I'll have Natasha with me. She doesn't know the truth, but Melinda does. I'll talk to her while we're in transit, let her know what's happening. You know she'll take care of me."

"Seems a shame to cut into their time," Barton said with a wry grin.

"They'll get used to it," Coulson said. "Can I have my file, Nick? I can study it while we're in the air."

Fury sighed, but flipped over a thumb drive. "It's all on there," he said. "Report to the New York base when you're finished with your latest assignment. Barton and I will be waiting for you there."

"Yes, Sir," Coulson said.

"Be careful, Phil," Barton said.

"I will be," Coulson said. "See you guys in a few days."


	51. Chapter 51

While Coulson was briefing Skye on what he wanted her to do during initial contact with their target, Hannah; Skye kept looking over at the other woman in the small office. She didn't know what to make of the red-head, but the dead expression in her eyes reminded her a lot of Agent May.

"Skye," Coulson snapped.

"Sorry, yeah, got it, stay in the car," Skye said. "Just like always."

"First contacts are dangerous and we don't know what we're walking into," Coulson said. "You need to be focused and paying attention to what's happening around you."

"Fine, I will be," Skye said. "I still think there's a better way to do this."

"When you've been doing this as long as Agent Coulson then you can start talking about better ways to do things," Natasha said. "Where do you want me, Sir?"

Coulson couldn't stop the fond smile. "Guarding FitzSimmons," he said. "I'm going to take May with me. Between the two of you, both teams should be safe."

Natasha nodded and left, heading for the lab. Skye looked over at Coulson. "Does that happen to all of you?" she asked.

"What?"

"That dead look in the eyes," Skye said. "Ward doesn't have it, at least not yet, but you, May, Barton and now Romanov. Why don't any of you look like you enjoy living?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Coulson said with a small frown. He picked up the files and his tablet and headed down towards the cargo area. "We all enjoy living. We all enjoy our work, too."

"That's kind of my point. What do you guys do for fun?" Skye asked.

"Fun?" Coulson asked, turning to look back at her.

"Oh my god, really?"

Coulson snickered. "Of course not," he said. "Skye, we're human, just like you. We feel the same things you do, maybe not as strongly, but that's because we're different people. We have our ways of dealing with the stress of the job that might not make much sense to you, but they do to us and every other agent that knows about them. Give it time, you'll find your own ways of dealing with what you see on the job. Now then, FitzSimmons, what do you have for me?"  
****

Coulson wasn't surprised when the situation at the house escalated so quickly. The town was scared, people were dying, and they wanted someone to blame. They picked out their target and weren't going to back down. It was equally obvious that the police wanted to side with the town and not Hannah. Having Hannah sedated was the safest way to get her back to the Bus and into holding. He just ignored the looks that Skye kept shooting at him.

"Natasha?"

"We're on our way back in, Sir," she said. "They've collected all the data they need and have packed up. Target?"

"Unconscious and secure," Coulson said. "We're in the air as soon as you're home."

"Understood."

"May, I want you in there with me," Coulson said, turning to his team. "You're the best one to help me explain things to her."

Ward frowned. "What if things go wrong?"

"Then he definitely wants me in there," May said.

"Get us in the air as soon as the other team is back and then meet me at holding," Coulson said. "I'm going to get rid of this tie first. I don't want to have a noose around my neck if things do go south."  
****

May stood and listened to what Hannah was saying, but also what she wasn't saying. The mention of a demon didn't surprise her at all. She nodded and sat down on the floor. "Have you seen the demon, Hannah?" she asked softly.

"Only out of the corner of my eye, usually in the dark, but I know it's there," Hannah said, voice shaking.

"It's okay, we believe you," Coulson said softly. "What does it look like? What shape do you see?"

"It looks human," she said. "Large. Man-shaped and holding something, but I can't tell what. Any time I turn to look at it fully, it vanishes. Why is it tormenting me like this? What have I done?"

"You haven't done anything," May said. "Hannah, listen to me. Demons attach themselves to people at random. You are not being punished for anything you've done or haven't done. It found a way here and attached itself to you for a reason known only to it. Keep praying. God will only give up on you if you give up on him first. You're safe in here. We won't let it hurt you."

She looked up. "Really?"

"I promise," May said.


	52. Chapter 52

Skye couldn't really believe it when she heard the truth behind May's nickname, but the story made sense. She didn't know what to do with the new information, so she went up to the main level, after being chased out by FitzSimmons, and started to work on her tablet. Skye had the files from all the people that died in the blast and one of them really stood out.

"Hey Ward, look at this," she said.

"What's up?"

"This guy here, Tobias, kept filing problems with Hannah's office," Skye said. "Most of them look minor on paper, but combined together, I think they might have been enough to cause our accident."

"So, what, you think that he and Hannah caused it together?" Ward asked.

"No, that's not right," Skye replied. "I'm not sure what it means, but there's something here that we're missing. What did Coulson and May come up with?"

Ward sat down next to her. "Hannah says she's being hounded by a demon," he said. "I don't know if I believe it or not, but there is something I noticed. Before, any time she was stressed or highly emotional, things started moving around on their own. Started trying to hurt the people attacking her. This time, her emotions were off the chart, but nothing happened. I know we've made some adjustments to that room that could have been keeping her powers in check, but I don't think so. I don't know if I believe the demon theory, maybe she just wasn't upset enough this time, but I would have expected the water bottle to start flying around at the least."

There was a scream from down below and the plane took a nosedive. "That was Simmons," Skye said. "Ward, what's happening?"

"The plane's lost power," Ward said, heading forward. "Damn it, what a time to wish Barton was here."

"Are you certified?" May asked, not turning around.

"Barely," Ward replied, hopping into the seat. "Skye, strap in."

"Vertical landing is out," May said. "There's a large field up ahead. It's our best bet."

Ward started following her directions as best he could and braced for a rough landing. He only hoped that Simmons was okay and everyone else was strapped down. There wasn't time to check on any of them before they hit the field.  
****

"So there really is a demon?" Ward asked.

"A ghost, at the least," Coulson replied. "Here, our comms route through the plane. We'll have to use these to stay in touch. Ward, you go with FitzSimmons and get the power back on. Simmon, fill Ward in on what you saw and your theory. Natasha, May, guard Hannah. I'm going to go activate our homing beacon and send a distress call. Anyone sees anything unusual, I don't care if it's a mouse, you radio. We don't know what we're dealing with here and it's possible that this ghosts or demon could kill us."

Skye followed Coulson up the stairs, talking at him the whole time. Natasha looked over at May. "Does she ever shut up?"

"Rarely when she has a cause," May replied. "How do we fight a ghost, Nat?"

"Hope he's solid enough to land a good hit," Natasha replied. They started through the darkened plane towards the holding cell. "I fought a ghost back in Russia before Barton found me and brought me in."

"What happened?"

"A scientist decided to see if he could reach a higher plane of learning and tore his soul from his body in the process," Natasha said. "He alternated between fully formed and mist. It made fighting difficult, especially when he could vanish mid-punch."

May nodded. "So we have to be ready for half-attacks and hope that we can knock him out," she said. "He wants Hannah, Nat."

"Maybe we should give him what he wants then?"

"Coulson will kill us if anything happens to her."

"There's two of us. We can keep her safe."


	53. Chapter 53

Coulson's heart almost stopped when he heard what Skye was saying about Agent May. He didn't know where she had heard the story, although he had an idea, but he wasn't going to stand for it. "That's not what happened," he said, voice breaking. "There was no horse. She didn't even have a gun."

Skye must have picked up on something in his voice because she stopped and looked over at him. "What happened?"

"An attempt to make contact went wrong," Coulson said softly. "Horribly wrong. May used to smile. She loved to play pranks on people and had a strong opinion about the rules and what should and shouldn't be done. Sound familiar? Our contact took agents hostage and wouldn't let them go. May said she could handle it and went in. She went in and a stranger came out. I lost my best friend that day and got a stranger in her place."

"What did she do?" Skye asked.

"What had to be done," Coulson replied. "What any of us would have done to save as many people as possible. I was the one that met her coming out of the building and could see the walls in her eyes. The change that she'd suffered inside the building. I said..."

"What? What did you say?"

"What I thought she needed to hear," Coulson said softly. "I don't care who is telling stories on my Bus, but hurtful comments like that are not to be repeated. If I find out that anyone is saying these things to anyone, especially the person in question, no one will like the consequences. Am I understood?"

"Yeah, sorry," Skye said, looking down.

"I'm not the one you need to say it to," Coulson said.  
****

May and Natasha took Hannah off the plane and into an abandoned barn. "I don't want to scare you," May said. "I just need to use you as bait."

"You know him, Hannah," Natasha said. "You know the man doing this to you. He's not a demon. He's a ghost. He's trapped and he needs help." She took up a position behind the shaking woman. "It's Tobias, Hannah. Call to him. Tell him we're your friends and we're not going to hurt him."

"Where's Melinda?" Hannah asked, looking around.

"I'm watching from back here," May said. "Call him, Hannah. You're the only one that can help him now. The only one that can stop him."

"Tobias?" Hannah called. "Oh my god, Tobias."

The ghost stopped in front of her, wrench still in hand, but his eyes were sad. "Hannah."

"Why, Tobias?" she asked.

"I didn't think it would blow," he replied. "I didn't think me loosening a few things would cause this. I just wanted to see you. Seeing you smile was the bright spot in my day."

"You hurt all those people, Tobias?" she asked. 

"I didn't mean to. I'm stuck in hell now," he said. "I can't get free. I deserve this, but you don't. I was just trying to hurt you."

May stepped forward. "You did hurt her," she said. "Because of you, she can't go home. Hannah has lost everything because of you." She didn't flinch when the wrench was raised up. "You say you want to help Hannah, then let her go. Stop following her around and leave her to live her life."

"I can't," he said. "Hannah, will you forgive me?"

"Only god can do that," Hannah said. "If you're trying to help me, you need to do what Melinda says. Leave me alone. I don't need protection, Tobias. I need peace to be able to mourn for you and my other friends that died that day. You need to let me go and you're the only one that can do that."

"But I'll go to hell."

"It's not hell," Natasha said. "It's a portal to another world and it's closing. You need to leave now before you're trapped forever between worlds, screaming where no one can hear you. You go where you belong and you have another chance. You stay here, you're stuck until the end of time."

"I don't know how."

May twitched her head towards the door, signaling what Natasha had also picked up on. The rest of the team was close. "You need to figure it out now. Our team is coming and they'll be able to force you to do it," May said. "You do this on your own, then you have a chance. Don't make us force you."

Natasha glanced over at the next thing May said, but her expression didn't change. Tobias slowly started to fade until even the ripple in the air was gone. "You're going to be fine now, Hannah," Natasha said softly before letting Skye lead the shaking woman away.

"What did you tell him?" Coulson asked softly.

"Just what you told me," May replied.  
****

Coulson was the only one that recognized one of May's favorite pranks later that night when Fitz showed up with shaving cream everywhere demanding to know which one of the team pranked him. Natasha just looked amused at the thought of Coulson playing a prank on someone, but didn't say anything either. The team would work it out quickly enough, although Natasha had to wonder what they would think of a slightly softer Melinda May. It was something no one had seen in years. She was able to read the lines in Coulson's shoulders. There was something still bothering him, but he was happy to see a sign of his best friend again.


	54. Chapter 54

Coulson was in his office reviewing his full medical file when May came in and shut the door behind her. "We're almost to New York," she said. "We've got a doctor waiting to work with Hannah and someone will go and pack up her things, put her house on the market and then we'll get her relocated and into a job where she can continue doing good in the world."

"That was quite a risk you and Natasha took, leaving the Bus with her," Coulson said. He put his tablet down and leaned back in his chair. "How long had you been listening to our conversation?"

"The whole time," May said. "Phil, I knew that the ghost wasn't trying to hurt Hannah, but having him near us, not knowing who was a friend and who was an enemy was an unacceptable risk. If the Black Widow and I couldn't handle it, no one would have been able to."

"I'm not worried that you were in over your head, I just wish you'd told me where you were going," Coulson said. "I know about Nat's fight with the ghost back in Russia. She told me about it one op when we were snowed in and couldn't get out for anything, not even for more wood for the fire. Clint's the one that came up with the idea to tell ghost stories in the dying fire light and that was Nat's."

"What was yours?"

"There was this old house back where I grew up that had been empty for years," Coulson replied. "One night when I was walking home from a date, I saw a figure in the upper window. An old woman just standing there, staring out across the yard. She was glowing, Mel."

May smiled. "I'm trying to picture you on a date," she said.

"His name was Freddy and he played football," Coulson said. "I've always had a thing for smart, muscular guys."

"Makes a certain amount of sense, although your suits are good cover for how good of shape you're in, Phil."

"There's a reason for that," Coulson said. "Do you want to hear this story or not?"

"Sorry."

"I went closer to the house and just as I was about to head up onto the porch, the woman vanished out of the upper window and appeared in front of the door, blocking me from going in," Coulson said. "I told her that I wanted to be sure she was okay, that she didn't need any help and she nodded and motioned for me to leave. No matter how I tried to get in the house, Mel, this old woman stopped me. I could see through her, I knew she was a ghost, but it seemed rude to me to just push through her and into the house. So I finally left and went home for the night."

"You never give up."

Coulson grinned. "Freddy and I went back the next day at noon," he said. "It was Saturday, before you say anything about school, and we went inside. There was no floor four steps in. If I'd gone in the night before, in the dark, I would have fallen into the basement and died. I still don't know who the old woman was, I've never been able to match her up, but she saved my life."

"Some would say she put it in danger in the first place, showing up like she did," May said.

"Not everyone would go into a house where they knew there was a ghost," Coulson pointed out. "The house was torn down the next year and I never saw her again. I hope she moved onto wherever it is she was supposed to be."

"That's a happy story," May said with a smile. "I wish all ghost stories had such happy endings, Phil."

"Maybe yours will," Coulson said. "I know what you did, Mel. So does Nat."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"If you say so, but be careful," Coulson said. "Has Skye talked to you?"

"No, but she's been sitting with me. I'm not sure what that's about," May said.

"FitzSimmons and Ward told her two erroneous versions of how your nickname came to be and I set her right," Coulson said. "I might have let myself get a little overly emotional while talking about it."

"Why does no one else know what a good actor you are?"

Coulson shrugged. "I don't know, but they won't be talking about that again," he said. "You'll tell me if there's anything else I can do for you, Mel. I still feel like I failed you, somehow, that day."

"You're doing it," May said. "You're being you and you're letting me be me. There's nothing else I want, Phil."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now, tell me why New York."

"I'm going to be undergoing some tests. There's something wrong, Mel, and I've finally managed to get Fury to let me look at my file and run some tests," Coulson said. "They're not going to knock me out or anything, and Clint's going to be there the whole time. There's a problem that we don't know where it came from or how to fix it, but I'm going to help them figure it out."

May studied him for a long minute. "The woman on the beach."

"Yes."

"I'll do some research of my own with Nat," May said. "We'll help you find the answers, Phil."

"She can't know everything."

"She won't."

"All right. Thank you."

May nodded. "I should be thanking you. You got me out of the cave I'd hidden away in for too long."

"It's what friends are for."

"Yes, it is."

There was a shriek from the lower level. May smiled. "They're also good alibis," she said.


	55. Chapter 55

"Agent Barton, I want to know what the hell you were thinking telling Coulson the truth," Fury said. They were in his office reviewing the last set of tests the doctors wanted to run on Coulson before allowing him back out in the field while they reviewed all the data. "Especially when I gave you an order not to."

"He was close to working it out on his own," Barton replied. "Phil's not stupid, Nick. He knew something was wrong and he was starting to ask questions. He had a physical done, blood work sent in, and he was asking questions about everything. I made a call that telling him would be better than him finding out on his own. Phil knows that I won't lie to him, and I just couldn't risk losing him."

"You took that risk when you told him the truth."

"There wasn't ever a concern there. Phil's balanced and he knew about the LMD program," Clint said. "The only reason he ruled it out was because the bots he knew about didn't have a sex drive or eat. He didn't know that his was upgraded before he was uploaded into the new body. If he'd known those facts, he would have figured it out a hell of a lot faster, Sir."

Fury sighed. "So you're telling me that by telling Phil the truth you saved him from shutting down in shock."

"Yes, Sir."

"That has to be some of the most backwards logic I have ever heard in my life."

"I live with Tony Stark, Sir," Barton pointed out. "No one can twist logic around like that man."

"That's the last thing I need; Tony Stark as a virus," Fury growled. "You are damn lucky things turned out like they did, Barton. Otherwise I would be talking about sending you to the lock-up for a very long time. As it is, you're teaching your class and you will turn in every piece of paperwork you owe from your time with SHIELD. I don't care how out of date it is, you will turn it in."

"Yes, Sir," Barton said. "Nick, what do you think about this mystery woman and the post-hypnotic suggestion Coulson seems to be suffering?"

"I don't know what to think," Fury said. "Do you think it's possible that the woman is somehow related to Loki and is just starting to show up now because Coulson is healed?"

"It doesn't seem to be Loki's style," Barton said. "That doesn't mean it's not one of his friends from Asgard, or whatever other hell plane of existence he's been on, but I don't think it's him. For one thing, it's too subtle. Think about it, Loki is anything but subtle."

"Compared to Thor he's a god-damned shadow," Fury growled.

Barton chuckled. "Thor does have a certain way of busting through everything first and asking questions about it later, but he gets that from his father," he said. "Or so I've heard when he and Stark get to drinking at night. Thor's mother is the subtle one, and Loki seems to take after her a little more, even with him being adopted."

"So we can't rule Loki out, but he's not your first suspect," Fury said. "Who is?"

"I want another look at the people that coded Coulson's LMD before he was uploaded," Barton said. "It makes more sense that the problem comes from one of them. A few wrong key strokes and you end up with a mystery woman on the beach trying to suck out your soul."

"I worry that you said that with a straight face," Fury said.

"Nick, we're dealing with aliens, portals, magic, super-beings, and Stark," Barton pointed out. "If I got the giggles every time I mentioned some problem in the world today, I'd never stop. That this is now my life worries me a little, keeps me up nights, but I've got Nat and her stash of vodka if it gets to be too bad."

"I thought she got rid of that."

"This is Nat we're talking about."

"True. What does Coulson think of that?"

"He's joined in, in the past. I think he knows there are just some nights you won't get through without a lot of alcohol," Barton said. "The benefit of Nat's vodka is that it takes less to get you drunk so you don't have to worry about poisoning. Not unless you get into what she's drinking by accident."

"I'm wondering when our conversation about medical turned into one about alcohol," Fury said.

"Right around the time we mentioned sucking women," Barton said.

May, who had just opened the door frowned. "Do I even want to know?" she asked.

"No," Fury replied. "Where's Coulson?"

"Right behind me," May said, walking into the room. "You letting women suck on you now, Barton?"

"He'd better not be. I'm the only one that gets to do that," Coulson said, shutting the door behind him.

"That is far more than I ever wanted or needed to know," Fury growled. "Coulson, report."

"Situation is handled, Sir. Hannah is meeting with a counselor to talk about her experience and Agent Romanov is heading up a group to get Hannah's house packed up and into storage until such time as she can be relocated," Coulson said. "I'm ready for my tests, Sir."

"I hope so, Phil," Barton said. "They're going to run the full spectrum so we can figure this out."

"You'll be there, right?" Coulson asked.

"Right next to you the whole time," Barton replied. "Glaring."

"Then I'm ready," Coulson said. "Nick?"

"I'm wondering when the hell I lost control of my organization," Fury said. "Get the hell out of my office, all of you. I don't want to see any of you until we have some answers."


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm seeing the next episode doesn't air until January. I'm going to be doing some original chapters for the next couple of weeks, probably a Christmas party for the team, and then I'll work this week's episode in a little closer to the air date for the next episode. I have a couple of ideas for it already, but I don't want to leave Coulson hanging for three weeks.

"So, what's going on?" Skye asked.

"We're on stand-down to undergo physicals," Ward replied. "SHIELD medical is worried about possible health issues stemming from all the time we spend up in the air. Being in a plane like we are, it puts us at a risk to higher radiation exposure, so that means there's going to be times when we're all going to have to be on-base and turned into pin cushions."

"They want to take how much blood?" Skye squeaked.

Ward grinned. "Only a pint or two," he said. "Come on, Skye, we're all doing it. Time to show off exactly how much training you've been putting in on the bus."

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean, you go with the nice nurse here and change into your workout gear," Ward said. "She'll get you hooked into the system and you get to go for a run on the treadmill."

"A run? Ward!"

"It's only a couple of miles," Ward said, vanishing into the other locker room.

"Only he says," Skye sighed. "Seriously?"

The nurse smiled. "To start with, yes," she said. "We don't have a recent base for you, Skye, so we're going to be running a few more tests than the rest of your team will be getting. You should have let Simmons test you up on the plane."

"We didn't exactly have the time," Skye said. She pulled off her shirt and hung it up in the locker. "What with chasing after ghosts and aliens and all the other crap our team seems to be sent out to deal with."

"Sounds like situation normal then," the nurse said. "All right, let's get you hooked up and ready to go. Agent Coulson is just finishing up his run, so you'll be next."

Skye followed the nurse out into a fairly large gym. "Coulson?" she asked.

"Everyone means everyone," Coulson said from the treadmill. "After the first two miles, it's actually really relaxing."

"How much have you run?" Skye asked, tilting her head up for one of the sensors to be attached.

"Just over five miles," Barton said, not looking up from the tablet in his hand. "You're showing off today, Phil."

"I haven't really had a chance to just run in a while," Coulson said. He pushed a button and hopped to the side. "Besides, you're enjoying seeing me in shorts and a t-shirt, Barton. Don't even pretend you're not."

"I wouldn't dare," Barton grinned. "They're ready to hydrate and then take blood, Phil. Skye, good luck. Don't push yourself. If you can't do it, then you can't do it. They need an honest base to work off for you."

"I don't know if I can do this," Skye admitted.

Simmons appeared, also hooked up to sensors. "Come on, I'll run with you, Skye," she said. "You don't want to even try to match up with Coulson, May, or Ward. It's impossible and you'll just hurt yourself. You're part of the tech department on the team, so you need to match up with Fitz and me."

"Yeah, but you've both been to the academy," Ward said, walking past with May. "I'd be worried if you couldn't each manage at least two miles, Simmons."

"I was trying to make her feel better, Ward," Simmons said.

"Skye's been training on the Bus," Ward said. "She can do this. Don't give her excuses to get out of it."

Barton walked back past carrying a towel and bottle of what looked like Gatorade. "Anyone on the team comes up with excuses for not doing what they're supposed to be doing, Natasha and I have permission to take them on the mats and start teaching them how to fight," he said. "No padding."

"Bring it," May said with a small smile.

"Nat's waiting for you, Mel," Barton said. "Ward, you might want to explain a little more why they don't want to face me or Natasha."

Ward sighed and waited until Barton was on the other side of the room, sitting next to Coulson on a bench. "Aside from them both being Avengers," he said, pushing Skye towards one of the treadmills, "they were the premier strike team in SHIELD before the Avengers program was even thought of. No extraction plan for an assignment, no safety net at all, and they both logged so many successful missions that no one else in SHIELD will ever be able to match them. Start jogging. You don't have to take this fast, just steady. Agent Romanov and Agent Barton, along with Agent Coulson, were the go-to for the impossible missions because they would get them done. They both fight dirty."

"Phil and I trained them well," May said. She started at a slow jog.

"I still don't get why we're going through this," Skye said.

"Because SHIELD cares about our health," Ward said. "You want to be an agent, Skye, you get used to this. Routine physicals are a part of life. Normally Simmons can do them for us, but since we're here and between assignments, they're doing a broader spectrum work-up on all of us while they have the chance."

"Joy," Skye grumbled.


	57. Chapter 57

"What I don't understand, and haven't been able to come up with an answer to, is how you're planning to download my specs," Coulson said once he, Barton, and the doctor were all in a secure room. "I don't have a USB port anywhere and you're not shutting me down to get to my hardware, so how do you plan to do this?"

"The LMDs have a port," the doctor said, holding up a large electrical-type plug. "It's the last place anyone thinks to look."

Coulson leveled a look at the doctor. "If you think you are coming near me with that thing, or that I will voluntarily allow you near my ass, then you need to think again," he said. "Because I will show you exactly what that feels like, and I will not use any sort of lube."

The doctor went pale and took three steps back. Barton bit back a laugh. "You don't have to worry about it, Phil, you were upgraded, remember," he said. "They have special sensors built into your hands. All you have to do is put your hand down on the pads and the information will download into the system."

"Then why didn't he just say that instead of attempting to terrify me?" Coulson asked. "I don't know how many of our LMDs are in service at this time, doctor, but I can find out. I can also find out if you're treating them as machines rather than people. I wouldn't be happy if I found out that you think an LMD is anything other than what it is; a vessel to allow a trusted agent another chance at life once their body is too badly damaged in the field. Yes, we are machines in that we are not born, but once the agent is uploaded into their LMD, they become a person again. You need to remember that and treat them as people, not pieces of machinery. If SHIELD wanted LMDs treated as equipment rather than people, they would be in the shop rather than medical to be examined. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Agent Coulson," the doctor managed.

"Good. Now, it seems that Agent Barton is fully familiar with the process, so he will be finishing up my physical," Coulson said. "Then I will be going to speak with Director Fury about a few things. You're dismissed."

The doctor opened his mouth to point out that, in medical, he technically outranked anyone, including the Director, but saw the look in both Barton and Coulson's eyes and thought better of it. He left without saying anything else. Barton waited until the door was shut before he leaned in and kissed Coulson. "You are so hot when you lecture like that," he whispered against his lover's mouth. 

"Clint."

"Yeah?"

"Get this over with so I can go see how my team is doing," Coulson said with a sigh. "I can't believe he thought he was going to use that thing on me."

Barton moved the pads into position and turned them on. "Hands palm down," he said. "It'll take about five minutes, so you can't move, Phil. Remember that I made them fix your LMD so you could eat and have a sex drive. They're working on the others we have in storage now, bringing them up to par with you, but you're the model for the program now."

"I never realized that people would treat an LMD as less than human," Coulson said. "That's something we don't think about when we're going through the paperwork. I think I'm glad that I know the truth, Clint. It gives me a chance to talk with Fury about things that should be different than they are right now."

"Maybe this is the real reason Fury doesn't want anyone to know the truth," Barton said with a grin. "He's worried the LMDs are going to unionize and then he'll have another headache on his hands."

May tapped on the door and slipped inside. "Terrorizing the doctors again, Phil?" she asked with a small smile.

"You would have done the same if you'd been in my place," Coulson replied. "They put the download socket in a really embarrassing spot."

"I've seen the spec readouts," May said. "Phil, you should know that Skye barely managed a mile before she had to give up. The doctors aren't clearing her to be out in the field with us. Not until she can get those numbers up."

"It doesn't surprise me. Ward's been working with her, but Skye hasn't had her moment yet," Coulson said. "Until she does, until she realizes why she wants to be a SHIELD agent, she's not going to give it her all. Melinda, while I'm thinking about it, I was wondering if you would be willing to help me with a cover?"

"If I can."

"It's about Skye's parents," Coulson said with a small sigh. "She's pushing to get more information, looking into records that she can access and I'm worried she's accidentally going to hit on the truth. I've told her that I'm trying to access into upper level files. Would it be okay with you if, when the time is right, for me to tell her that you're helping me out?"

"Because I was in admin, I would know the files better than you would," May said. "I don't like her poking at this, Phil. What happens if she does find out the truth?"

Coulson sighed. "Right now, she's more focused on her mother than her father, and that's working in our favor," he said. "I don't know how long that will last, but it makes more sense for her to want to find her mother."

"Not realizing the truth," Barton said.

"How can she?" Coulson asked. "Skye is smart, but she has tunnel vision. Are we almost done with this, Clint?"

"Two and a half minutes," Barton said. 

"Tell her I'm helping," May said. "I might be able to confuse the search long enough for you to do whatever the hell it is you're doing."

"Thank you," Coulson said.

May smiled. "Don't thank me yet," she said. "You don't know what I'm going to do to confuse the trail."

"I don't need to. Just knowing I have you both on my side, helping me out, I know things are in good hands," Coulson said. "Now then, I think she needs a bit of a wake-up call. Clint, when is Nat back in town?"

"Tony's throwing some huge party for Christmas at the Tower," Barton said. "Nat's been threatening to stay away through that, but I think she'll probably come back and hide out at base. Two days?"

"Not soon enough. May, you up to go against Clint?"

"It's been a while since I sparred against anyone this sneaky," May said. "It'll be fun."

"What are you hoping to do, Phil?" Barton asked. "You're done. This will route down for them to start looking at and you'll have the results by New Year's. I wish it was faster, but they're still learning too."

Coulson picked up his towel and hopped off the table. "I want to know about the mystery woman," he said. "And where the hell that phrase came from. Other than that, I feel fine. I want to drive it home to Skye that anyone can fight, given the right incentive. You two are going to start the sparring match. Then I'm going to finish it."


	58. Chapter 58

Skye sat down on the floor between Fitz and Simmons and looked around. "Okay, so why are we here next to these big mats?" she asked. "Ward says I'm not ready for anything advanced in self defense."

"We're going to get to see a match between Agent Barton and May," Fitz said with a wide grin. "Two of the best fighters in SHIELD and we get to watch them spar. This is so exciting."

"We never got to see anything like this at the academy," Simmons added.

"There are few agents who are good enough to face May and walk away," Ward said, sitting down behind the group. "I'm one of them, but she can still get me eight times out of ten. Skye, don't blink or you'll miss moves. Both Barton and May are sneaky and fast. Coulson is trying to set up so we can see the Black Widow fight Barton, but she's not back in town yet."

"Oh, we have to see that," Fitz said. "The Black Widow is as big a legend as May."

Across the mats, May and Barton were both stretching with Coulson. "Don't you think they'll think something is up if you're warming up too, Phil?" May asked quietly.

"Maybe, maybe not. If anyone asks, I'm stiff from my run and am just loosening up," Coulson said with a small grin. "I think we need to schedule more training time on the Bus, Mel. I'm not happy with the numbers I'm seeing from anyone other than Ward, and I know he's been training with you."

May stared at him. "How long have you known?" she finally asked.

"Since the first night. He's good for you," Coulson replied.

"He's young."

"So there's a slightly bigger age gap between you and Ward than there is between Clint and me," Coulson said. "At least you're both human."

May snorted. "Some people would debate that one with you," she said.

"They're the idiots then," Barton said. "You ready to do this, Mel?"

"As ready as I'm going to be. Safety?"

Barton grinned. "Why spoil the fun?" he asked. "Best out of three?"

"Sounds good."

"I'll join you in a bit," Coulson said. "Try not to scar the children too badly."

"You spoil all my fun," Barton grumbled.

Skye watched the pair make their way to the middle of the mats and frowned. "Wait, shouldn't they be wearing gear?" she asked. "Like head protectors or something? Is this a sparring match or a real fight?"

"With them, who knows," Ward said with a sigh. "Protective gear is only required for lower ranking agents. When you hit level seven, you have the option of using it or not. Most of us don't, but that's because we want to know we'll be able to fight past a hit. Pay attention now, this is going to be fast and good."

Barton and May circled each other a few times, each studying the other closely and it was Barton that made the first move. He stepped in and punched, rolling with the throw and came up behind May, aiming a back elbow at her head. She ducked and flipped him over onto his back, letting go and moving back quickly. Barton grinned and flipped to his feet. "You're good," he said.

"Practice," May replied. "I keep telling you Tai Chi would help you out."

"Nat would never let me live it down," Barton said. He caught May's kick and pushed her back into a flip. "Ready?"

"Bring it."

FitzSimmons and Skye all stared as the pace suddenly picked up to the point that it was hard to tell if blows were landing or not. When they separated for a moment, a few drops of blood were left behind on the mat. "One of them is hurt," Skye exclaimed. "They need to stop."

"That's nothing," Ward said softly. "They're fine, Skye. Remember that they've been doing this a long time. Barton might be a sniper, but he's also really good at sparring. Hell, he does this with Romanov for fun. They're not going to break anything. Director Fury frowns on training injuries taking agents out of the field."

"How are they not going to break something?" Fitz asked. "I can't even tell what all they're doing. It's one big blur."

"I told you not to blink," Ward said. He caught sight of Coulson moving and grinned. Suddenly the sparring match made sense. "Watch closely guys."

"What the hell is Coulson doing getting that close to them?" Skye asked.

"Stay here," Ward said, pushing her down gently. "He knows what he's doing."

Coulson had been watching the match closely and broke into the middle of the fight cleanly and so smoothly that it could have been practiced ten time over. He knocked May back and took Barton to the ground, never taking his eyes off May. Barton waited until his arm was loose and then flipped back to his feet, grabbing Coulson from behind. Coulson kicked May, knocking her back again and wrapped his legs back around Barton, taking his knees out and riding the fall gracefully. He rolled clear before Barton was able to get his feet under him again and put a foot on the back of Barton's neck. "Stay down a second," he said. Coulson blocked the punch May threw at him and carried her around, tipping her neatly onto Barton's back as the other man was trying to get up.

Barton started laughing. "He loves that move," he said. "You okay, Mel?"

"Not even winded," she said, almost grinning. "Phil, that move is ancient."

"It still works," Coulson grinned. "You two okay? Who's bleeding?"

"I am," Barton said. He pushed up into a sitting position and wiped his forehead. "Mel landed a glancing shot and her nail got me."

"All right, that's enough for today then," Coulson said. "Clint, go get that cleaned up and bandaged. I'll clean up the mats."

May looked over at the the rest of the team. Ward was the only one grinning, the others looked stunned. She gave a small nod at him and turned to help Coulson clean up the mats. May wasn't sure why he wanted the younger team members to see him fight, but it had been fun, even if she'd forgotten his favorite finishing move. It seemed not all of his muscle memory was gone.


	59. Chapter 59

"Okay, what was the point of that whole thing?" Skye demanded once they'd all showered and were heading towards the mess. "It seemed like they were just showing off, not really doing anything else."

"There was a point there," Ward said. "You just missed it. Fitz, Simmons, you guys get it?"

Simmons nodded. "Yes, I did," she said. "Do you think May would be willing to start teaching me some basics? I never really realized that before, and seeing it so clearly, some things make sense now."

"I'll be happy to," May said. 

"When did you join us?" Simmons asked.

"A few minutes ago," May replied. "Fitz, do you want to learn too?"

"Maybe not to fight, but you mentioned Tai Chi?" he said.

Ward glanced over and caught May's eye. "I think that's a good idea for everyone," he said. "I don't know anything about it, but I'm willing to learn too. Think Coulson would okay lessons while the auto-pilot is engaged?"

"I think so," May said. "Clint, do you want to tell Skye the purpose of our match today?"

"God, how do you guys all move so silently?" Skye exclaimed.

"You learn," Barton said. "Coulson's in a meeting with Director Fury about a few things. Anyway, I wasn't here as anything other than a messenger. Tony's having his annual Christmas party next week and wanted me to invite you all. It'll be at one of the Convention Centers."

"Not at the Tower?" Skye asked.

"That party is for close friends and family," Barton replied. "Which, knowing Tony, means about a hundred people, but his vents are nice and easy to access if I need to. The larger party is open to anyone from SHIELD Tony likes along with anyone that will piss Fury off when he finds out they've been invited. Just let me know and I'll add your names to the list. It's formal."

"We have to go, Fitz," Simmons said. 

"Yeah, we have to," Fitz agreed.

Barton grinned. "That's two," he said. "Ward, Mel?"

"Why not?" Ward asked. "If nothing else, it'll be fun to be there when Fury crashes the party."

"What makes you think Director Fury will crash the party?" Coulson asked, appearing behind them.

"Again!" Skye exclaimed. 

"I'll come," May said quietly. "Nat's going to be there?"

"Most likely," Barton said. "You two can talk. Skye, how about it? There's going to be a bunch of people from SI there, too. You might know some of the tech people."

"Are you and AC going to be there?" Skye asked.

"What night is it?" Coulson asked in reply. "And which huge, out-of-control party are we talking about? I know Stark, and he never does anything by halves."

"This is the larger of the two, Phil. You have an invite to the smaller one at the Tower, too," Barton said. "Stark knows better than to cut you out when I'm going to be there. I can make arrows out of the entree and make his tux really messy if he tries it."

Coulson sighed. "You are not starting another food fight, Barton," he said. "I don't care how bored you are, or how aerodynamic the sausage rolls are."

"Do I want to know?" May asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, you don't," Coulson replied. "The cleaning bill alone almost got him stuck in detention for a month until Director Fury calmed down again. It's almost impossible to get barbecue sauce out of leather, and we are not having a repeat of that night."

"Spoilsport."

"One of us has to be sensible," Coulson said. "Skye, if the rest of the team is going to be at the larger gala, then you need to come as well. It shows solidarity for the team."

"Yeah, why not? It's not like I have anywhere else to go around Christmas," Skye said. "Especially after you stranded my boyfriend in Hong Kong."

"Good, then that's settled," Coulson said. "Ward, you'll show Skye to her temporary bunk here at HQ?"

"As soon as we're done eating," Ward said. "I'm guessing you and Barton aren't joining us, Sir?"

Coulson smiled. "You guess correctly," he said. "Everyone be at the gym tomorrow at 0500. We're going to start a new physical program that will be continued when we're on the bus. Eat something healthy and get some sleep. No excuses will be accepted tomorrow morning."

"Night all," Barton grinned. He turned and followed Coulson down the hall, two steps behind his lover.

"Do you have to be insane to be a SHIELD agent?" Skye asked.

"It helps," Ward replied. "Come on, they should have chicken salad in the mess. That'll be light, healthy and give you some energy for tomorrow. I'm guessing there's going to be some dietary adjustments coming up too."

"All the more reason to have one more night of pizza," Skye muttered as the group started down the hall again.


	60. Chapter 60

"So do you think Skye did get the point of that fight?" Barton asked while they were in the lift up to his floor at the Tower. "I mean, I wouldn't put a green agent in with Mel and me, but it's pretty obvious you're a bad ass, Sir. Seems to me that everything went right over her head."

"She's going to have to realize that she can fight one of these days," Coulson replied with a sigh. "Ward has been training her, but you saw the numbers, Clint. They're low. Lower than FitzSimmons and I didn't think that was possible. As it stands right now, I can't have her out in the field with me, and that's a problem."

"Agent! Welcome to my Tower," Tony said as the doors opened.

"What are you doing on my floor, Stark?" Barton asked, slipping past towards the kitchen.

Tony grinned. "JARVIS told me that my favorite Agent was here and I wanted to talk to him about something," he said. "Something I've noticed but don't think anyone else knows about because they're not me."

"If all you're going to do is sing your own praises, leave," Barton said. "Phil and I have dinner plans and they don't include having anyone watching."

"Sex should never happen during dinner. It upsets the digestion," Tony said, flopping onto the sofa. "Seriously, before or after, sure, but never during."

"Says the man that never eats," Barton said. "Phil, what do you want to drink?"

"I'll have a beer if you have some stocked," Coulson said. He undid his tie and slumped into his favorite chair. It warmed something inside him that the chair made it to the Tower, even with him not really spending much time there. "Tell us what you have to say, Stark, and then please leave. I have plans for the night."

"Don't think for a minute I've forgotten about the two of you wanting to get married," Tony said. "JARVIS has been looking into things for me and I think I've found the perfect spot. Tahiti. He tells me it's a magical place. Ack!"

Coulson pushed down on Tony's throat a little. "What did you just say to me, Stark?" he hissed.

"Hawkeye, get your deranged husband off me," Tony croaked. "Help."

"Phil, ease back," Barton said. He put a hand on Coulson's shoulder and rubbed. "Come on, he can't talk to us like that. Phil, come on, it's okay. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise, but you need to let Tony breathe. There you go. Come on now, ease down."

"What the hell?" Tony demanded. "I try to do something nice and you try to kill me. This is why I don't like people."

"Stark, shut it," Barton snapped. "Come here, Phil. It's okay. I heard him too, it's okay. You're not dreaming. This is real." He pulled Coulson into a tight hug. "Tony, stay put and give me a minute. There's something going on, something wrong, but we don't know what. JARVIS, get a hold of May and get her over here. Then get Nat on comm."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS said. "Shall I notify Dr. Banner that his aid is needed as well?"

"Yeah, what the hell, have him come check on Stark," Barton said. "Come on, Phil, let's sit down. You're okay. Deep breaths now. There you go, ease down. Don't make me order you."

That got a small smile. "Stark okay?" Coulson asked.

"Scared and probably having flashbacks, but Bruce is on the way," Barton replied. "He didn't know and you reacted. It's okay, we'll get this sorted. There's Bruce."

"What's going on?" Steve asked, stepping out of the lift just ahead of Bruce. "JARVIS said there was a fight?"

"Small one, I got it stopped," Barton replied. "Cap, there's beer in the fridge. Get one for everybody, including an extra for a friend that's going to be joining us. Bruce, Tony's in bad shape. Check him over."

Bruce nodded and went to sit next to Tony on the sofa. "Director Fury and Agent Romanov, Sir," JARVIS said. "Agent May is unable to leave base, but she is linking in now."

"What's going on, Clint?" Natasha asked.

"That god damned phrase again, Nat," Barton replied with a growl. "Only this time it was Tony that said it and Coulson almost strangled him because of it. Nick, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know," Fury said. "May. Medical has all the data from Coulson's physical today and they're reviewing it now. If he's been touched by some sort of alien presence then they'll pick up on it."

"Phil, was the woman back?" May asked.

"No, I didn't see her, but I reacted to the words," Coulson replied. "Without even thinking about it. It's like I was furious at hearing them, but I can't explain why I was."

"Tony's going to be fine, but I wouldn't recommend the two of you being alone for a while," Bruce said softly. "There's bruising, but it will heal."

"Tony, I'm sorry," Coulson said. "You didn't know about everything, so you didn't know that Tahiti is a hot point with me right now. Melinda, Natasha, you two were going to do some research while we were on downtime?"

May nodded. "As soon as Nat's home again," she said. "We'll get this figured out, Phil."

Barton was the only one that noticed Fury's small flinch at the mention of research, but filed it away to talk with the Director about when they were alone. "This really isn't how I planned for Phil to come home," he said with a sigh. "We want answers, Nick."

"We're working as hard as we can," Fury said. "Fill your team in, Hawkeye. Maybe they can think of something we aren't." His image vanished from the screen. 

"I'll be home tomorrow morning," Natasha said. "You're on base, Mel?"

"Yeah. Find me and we'll plan," May said.

"Tomorrow." Natasha vanished as well. May looked directly at Barton. "You know what's at stake here, Clint."

"I know," Barton said. "I'll tell them as much as I can."

"All right, I'll be in touch."

Steve looked over once the monitor was empty and dark. "What's going on, Clint?" he asked.

"We're not sure," Barton replied. "We recently discovered what appears to be some form of post-hypnotic suggestion buried in Phil's mind. Any time anyone asks him about the location of his recovery, he responds the same way, in a different tone to the rest of the conversation, and wasn't remembering it until recently. It's shaken him badly. A couple of missions ago, he dreamed of the beach, hearing the waves, and was with his therapist receiving a massage. When he said something about the location, the woman replied with the phrase and, to Phil, it felt like she was attempting to suck him out of his body."

"Dreaming about therapy isn't that unusual," Bruce said. "Especially after such a traumatic injury as you suffered, Agent Coulson."

"I didn't have a therapist," Coulson said. "I had a doctor on-site, and the doctor was male. At no point in time did I interact with a woman of any nationality while I was recovering."

Barton looked over at the sofa. "So tonight, when Tony said the phrase that Phil always responds with, Phil reacted badly," he said. 

"I thought I was asleep again, trapped in another nightmare," Coulson said. "I am sorry, Tony. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay," Tony managed. "I shouldn't have mentioned anything, but I know better than to surprise you two with anything."

"You need to rest your throat, Tony," Bruce said. "Clint, what can we do to help?"

"Start searching for magical women that suck out men's souls after they're injured?" Barton suggest wearily. "I don't mean succubi, so don't even, Tony. I'm worried this is something relating to the spear and Loki, but I don't have any way to prove it."

"Thor is coming for Christmas," Steve said. "We can ask him to look at Agent Coulson then. If this is related to Loki or the staff, we'll get it taken care of."

"Thanks guys," Barton said. "I think I'm just going to get Phil to bed. We'll see you guys in the morning?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Steve said. "It's good to have you home, Agent Coulson. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you out."

Barton grinned at how red his lover went. "We will, Steve," he said. "Thanks."

"Call if you need me during the night," Bruce said. "We'll figure this out. It might take us a while, but we will get it worked out."


	61. Chapter 61

"I was seven," Coulson said into the darkness about an hour after he and Clint went to bed.

"For what?"

"The last time I was this scared."

Barton rolled onto his side and propped up so he could look down at his partner. "What happened?" he asked.

"There was a cave near-by the town where I grew up and everyone knew to stay away from it," Phil replied. "My class took a trip out that way to visit a museum about the local history and two girls went missing. It was weird, Clint. One minute they were with us, almost right in front of me and my best friend, and the next they were gone. The teacher told us all to go to the bus and had the driver lock us on there, but another girl and a boy vanished off the bus. The driver finally took off, took us back to town, but no one could work out what happened."

"The teacher?"

"She never came home." Coulson sighed. "Neither did the missing kids. The police looked everywhere for them, but nothing was ever found."

"I know you, Phil. What did you find out?" Barton asked softly.

"I went back, once I was with SHIELD, and had Nick with me," Coulson said. "He didn't want to risk his newest, most-promising agent to some sort of weird vortex shit. His words, I'm quoting. We had a couple of other agents with us and we did manage to find the answer, although it wasn't exactly what we were expecting."

"What sort of alien tech had the local hermit gotten his hands on?"

Coulson snorted fondly. "Close, very close," he said. "There was a report about five years before we went out on the field trip, strange lights in the sky. Everything that the conspiracy theorists say the government is hiding from us. SHIELD had, in fact, worked to cover up a UFO in that part of the country, but it was assumed that the craft left because no wreckage was ever located by agents. At least not from SHIELD."

"Bloody CIA."

"Exactly. They hid the craft down in the cave, which already had a bad reputation with the locals, planning to come in and take it out late at night, but the program lost money and the extraction was scrapped," Phil said with a sigh. "So, of course, they buried the paperwork on it and trusted to the legends to keep locals away from the cave."

"So who went in and turned on something they didn't understand?" Barton asked. "An agent that was on the original team, someone just messing around, or did the aliens finally manage to track down their missing ship and come back for it?"

"It worries me that you can ask that question with a straight face," Coulson replied. "Nick found the agent dead not far from the ship. He'd been mummified by his contact with it, and the ship was alive. It had slowly been taking people to feed on trying to get enough power to return home. I managed to convince it that we could help it, give it a better source of energy than humans, and get it out of the cave as long as it didn't hurt us or anyone else while we were working with it."

"What in the world did you feed it?"

"Bananas," Coulson said. "It needed the minerals in the human body, not the blood or anything else, just the minerals. So we hauled in about fifty crates of bananas, ten of spinach, and ten of apples just for a treat. The ship had enough power to leave, head home, wherever home is, and everyone was happy. Except the CIA when they found out what we'd done."

Barton nodded. "So the ship teleported the children out of the group, but why pick those four?" he asked. "If it was trying for food to get home, average class size back then would have been what, about fifteen? Plus driver and teacher, that would be worth two kids, so maybe energy from the equivalent of twenty people?"

"Because it didn't have the power to take that many. I also believe those kids might have had a higher mineral content than the rest of us did, but that's a personal opinion," Coulson said. "As a kid though, Clint, seeing classmates vanish right before my eyes and having no idea of this lager world, it's when I first found Captain America."

"Because Cap wouldn't have let anything like that happen," Barton said. "I didn't know what I thought about him at first, Phil, but he's a good kid. He knows what he's doing and he really cares about people. I don't blame you a bit for looking up to him like you do, especially hearing about this."

Coulson sighed. "This is the same terror I remember feeling back then, Clint. I don't want to go to sleep because I'm worried if she finds me again, I won't be able to wake up."

"Hey, look at me," Barton said. "Right now, any mystery woman comes near you and she's going to have to fight me first. Let's do the guided dreaming again tonight, Phil. That way we can be together and no one will be able to get you."

"I don't know how I'd be handling this alone, Clint."

"You don't have to. I'm not leaving you alone until we have an answer," Barton said. "If I can't be with you, then one of my team will be, Phil. You're one of us and we look after each other."

"I'm not suited to be an Avenger."

"Yes, you are. You're just as suited to it as Nat and I are. No arguing the point, Cap's the one that decided it." Barton started laughing when Phil went red. "There, you can't argue with Cap. You haven't seen his puppy dog eyes yet, Phil. They'e worse than mine."

"No one does puppy eyes like you do."

"Take away Cap's chocolate and see what he does."

"Let me guess, Stark?"

"Long story," Barton said. "Come on, let's go to sleep. 0500 is going to be here soon and we have a date in the gym with your team. I heard Cap say he was going to join us, too."

Coulson moved over and cuddled up next to his lover. "Thanks for all this, Clint. I'm lost."

"Nah, just wandering. We'll get you home again."


	62. Chapter 62

"The sun isn't even up," Skye muttered. "How can anyone be awake at this hour?"

Ward gently guided her away from another wall. "You'll get used to it, Skye," he said. "You just have to not nap today, you'll fall asleep earlier and it won't be so bad tomorrow."

"We have to do this again?" Skye moaned.

"Every day," Coulson said, passing them in the hall. "Be on the mats in ten minutes, guys. We're going to start with Tai Chi and then we'll break into teams to work on other strengthening and balance exercises."

"How are we supposed to do this when we can't see what we're doing?" Skye asked.

"Go change, Skye," Ward replied. "I've heard rumors and you don't want to show anyone in this room how asleep you are. They will take advantage."

Skye started grumbling, but headed into the locker room. Ward shook his head with a fond smile and headed into the gym, already dressed for a workout, and found May, Coulson, Barton, and Captain America stretching. "Permission to join the group?" he asked.

"Come on and have a seat," Coulson said. "Melinda is going to help us stretch properly before we get going, but you'll want to warm up a little now. Where are the others?"

"I heard Simmons in the locker room, which means Fitz is not far away," Ward said with a grin. "Skye's probably going to fall asleep changing, so you might have to go get her, May."

"Nah, Nat's home," Barton said. "She'll bring Skye out with her. There's Fitz."

"Ward, are you okay working on lifting weights with him today?" Coulson asked. "The only reason I have you and Melinda here is to help FitzSimmons and Skye. I know the two of you know how to take care of yourselves and you won't slack off training."

"Sure, it's fine with me," Ward said. "Morning, Fitz."

"Uhm, morning," Fitz said. 

"Come on, I'll help you warm up," Ward said, moving off to the side a little. It was one thing for him to sit down with the group of some of the most deadly agents SHIELD had, plus the living American legend, but Fitz was still finding his ground and was in awe of almost everyone he came into contact with.

Barton grinned when there was a loud shriek from the locker room. "Nat found Skye," he said. 

"You did tell her I wanted everyone in one piece, right?" Coulson asked as Simmons scurried out and joined Ward and Fitz at the edge of the mat. "Clint, will you work with Simmons today? Let's get her a little more flexible and and stronger. She's in too much awe around Melinda for this to work out."

"Where do you want me, Phil?" Steve asked.

"Helping everyone along with me," Coulson replied. "You've helped train men in the past, Steve, and I know that you know when people are hedging their limits. I don't want to push anyone too far, but I'm worried about half of my team and the numbers they posted in their tests."

Steve nodded. "Easy enough," he said. "I think our missing pair just showed up."

Natasha walked over and settled down on Barton's back, keeping him from sitting back up from a stretch. "Morning everyone," she said. "I found Skye trying to sleep in the locker room."

"We heard," Coulson said dryly. "Do I want to know what you did?"

"Nothing harmful," Natasha said. "Clint, you're slipping."

"Nah, just being nice. I don't want to scare the kids," Barton said. "You want to move so I can sit up?"

"You're comfortable."

Coulson looked between them with a fond smile. He missed them both so much at times that it surprised him. "Natasha, please don't use your partner as a seat unless he asks you to when he's doing push-ups," he said. "You're helping Skye this morning."

"How much can I push?"

"Enough to keep her going, but I want her back tomorrow," Coulson said. "I don't know what's going on with me, but I also don't know if this mystery woman means there's a battle coming or not. I want my team able to defend themselves by New Year's."

Barton stood up, Natasha on his shoulders, and flipped her around into a loose hug. "That might be asking a bit too much," he said. "Nat, you up for this?"

"As much as I ever am," Natasha said. She wasn't fond of Tai Chi.  
****

When the Tai Chi lesson was over, Barton took Simmons over to the gymnastic equipment SHIELD had in one corner of the room. "So, how much have you done on this stuff?" he asked, checking the rings.

"Next to nothing," Simmons said. 

"Well, Coulson's worried about your flexibility, and I can't think of a better way to fix that than Tai Chi, self-defense and some gymnastics on the gear," Barton said. "Rumor is true, I grew up in the circus, so I know quite a bit about this stuff."

"You really grew up in the circus?" Simmons asked, surprised.

"Yep. That's where I got the name the Amazing Hawkeye," Barton replied with a grin. "Here, come onto these for a minute. Powder your hands first. I also did some tightrope walking and trapeze work, in addition to my marksmanship, so I can show off later if you're curious. Coulson usually will let me if I behave for the rest of the time. Okay, we're going to see how strong you are, Jemma. Try to pull yourself up on the rings. I'm right here, I won't let you fall."

"I'm really not that strong," she said, but gave it a try and managed to get a few inches up in the air before dropping back down.

Barton nodded. "Light weight training," he said. "Here, watch me." He grabbed the rings and pulled himself up until his hands were near his hips. "Can you see the muscle groups I'm using here?"

"Was that Skye?" Simmons asked, looking around for the source of the shriek.

"Nat probably increased the speed on the treadmill," Barton replied. He dropped back to the mats. "Come on, let's go on over to the balance beam."

"Clint, do you know why we're doing this?" Simmons asked, following along behind.

"Because you guys need to get your ratings up. Right now you're not cleared for the field and Coulson's been bending the rules taking you out like he has," Barton said. "Hop on up, I'm right here and the mats are soft. Just walk down and back, let me see how you move. We're not going to be teaching you guys anything you are uncomfortable with, but you need to learn to fight and defend yourselves. What happens if Coulson, Ward, or May can't get to you and you're in trouble?"

Simmons nodded. "I see your point," she said. "I just don't know how, Clint."

"We'll help you, Jemma. All of you."


	63. Chapter 63

"Simmons has potential," Barton reported once everyone was showered and gone. He, Coulson, May, Ward, and Natasha were in the mess drinking coffee, and no one was crazy enough to interrupt them. "She's uncertain, but she wants to learn. I think you'll have the easiest time with her, Mel."

"I'll keep Fitz," Ward said. "Kid's realized that he needs to step out and be able to do more. I think it really hurt him when he wasn't able to go and save Simmons and I was. That's not to say I think he'll change overnight, but he's getting there."

"Which leaves me with Skye, which is not really a good option," Coulson said. "Do you think Simmons would work with me, Clint? I know she wants to learn a few things from Melinda, but I'd rather not be in a teaching position with Skye right now."

May glanced over. "Skye won't listen to me," she said. "Group exercises on the Bus are our best option."

"I concur," Coulson said. "I also think we'll stick with the pairings we had today as long as we're on the ground and the Avengers don't get sent out into the field. How did Skye do, Natasha?"

"She has a block," Natasha said. "One that needs to be removed before she will be able to accomplish anything on or off the field."

"I've noticed that too, Sir," Ward said. "We still have a few days until Christmas and the party Stark is hosting. Permission to take Skye to one of the academy locations to show her what she'll be facing when our mission is over?"

"Granted. I'll call and let them know you're coming," Coulson said. "Make sure that Skye goes through the drills, Ward. She needs to realize exactly what we're doing here, and that it is not about breaking or bending the rules. I've let her get away with too much, even with her bracelet on. It might be time to pull back and start at the basics again."

Natasha nodded. "She's not like Clint or me, Sir. Skye may be good with computers, but there's no spark in her to be a special asset," she said. "Right now she's in holding because she thinks she knows best and, until she has her moment, nothing will pull her out of there."

"Skye maintains she wants to be a SHIELD agent," Ward said. "But she ignores the rules, whines about decisions from either May or Coulson, and has compromised an investigation. She's got a long way to go if she wants to even be considered for the academy at this point."

"You're right," Coulson said. "At least she's stopped saying bang every time she fires a gun. I count that as a win. She's also getting better about not unloading the gun when trying to take the safety off. When we're back on the Bus we're going to step up training. Melinda, Ward, I'm going to need your full support and help for that."

The pair nodded. May looked at Natasha. "We were going to hit the computers," she said.

"Yep, let's go see what we can find."

Coulson glanced at his lover. "Do I want to know?" he asked.

"They're going into everything Level 7 and below trying to work out who this mystery woman could be, Phil," Barton said. "You and I are going to work on keeping you safe, and Cap is going back out with you when you're in the field again. Fury wants me here for a covert op with Natasha, so Steve volunteered to go and make sure you're safe for me."

"Should you be so red, Sir?" Ward asked.

"He's blushing," Barton replied fondly. "You'll have to get past that one of these days, Phil. Steve's already forgiven the slip and is touched you cared enough to take such good care of him."

"Sir, you didn't really say that to Captain America, did you?" Ward asked.

"It came out wrong," Coulson said. "Does all of SHIELD know?"

"The pilot talked. It's not every day someone has such a good story about Agent Coulson being geeky, Phil," Barton said with a grin. "Everyone knows how much you admire Captain America, but no one thought you would actually tell him you watched him while he was sleeping."

"I didn't watch him while he was sleeping, I was present when he was unconscious," Coulson said. "We're not talking about this anymore. Ward, thank you for your help this morning, go ahead and get ready to head out with Skye. Take her to the D.C. academy. It's closest and will let you get back for the party disaster Stark is inflicting on the world."

Ward nodded and pushed up. "See you there, Sir," he said. "Barton."

"Have fun," Barton said with a grin. "Sir, I'd like to spend some extra time with FitzSimmons in the gym, if I could. I think I can get their shooting scores up to par faster than anyone else can."

"You're good with them, go ahead," Coulson said. "I'm going to try and get caught up on my paperwork. I'll find you in the range because, right now, I don't want to be alone."

"See you there then," Barton said.


	64. Chapter 64

"The first question we have to ask is what is special about Tahiti," Natasha said. She sat down at the computer and turned it on. "Why would Fury send Coulson there to recover when we don't have safe houses there?"

"That we know of," May pointed out. "We're both level 7, Natasha; there's at least one more level above us."

"True. What's in Tahiti?"

May sat down in the other chair and leaned forward. "Ocean. Sand. Heat. Nice people," she said. "Lots of places to tuck an agent away for however long they needed to be off the grid."

"Probably a few things there that are completely off the grid," Natasha said. "Do you think it's possible that there's some form of tribal magic there, something that we don't know about, but could have been used on Coulson?"

"Anything is possible, but I'm leaning towards something residual from that staff that stabbed him," May said. "We know it was giving off a radioactive signature that Dr. Banner and Stark were able to pick up on in the lab, and it linked very closely to the cube. What if there was more to it, and Loki caused a form of possession without realizing it?"

"Thor should have picked up on anything like that, but he can look when he comes back for the party," Natasha said. "What other women do we have that could want to suck out a man's soul?"

"Try typing that in and see if any files pop up. I don't know any off the top of my head, but we can see if maybe there's something in our database."

Natasha input the search terms and hit enter. "I've never seen Coulson that violent before, Mel. I watched the video when I got home," she said. "He was going to kill Stark."

"He's been maintaining there's something wrong with him since the second op we worked on the Bus," May said. "That he's forgotten how to do some of the basic tasks that used to be routine. Muscle memory is gone. I caught him trying to break down his gun, and it was painful to watch."

"He was out for a long time on rehab," Natasha said. "It's possible he lost some things when he was dead and just hasn't been able to get them back yet. I took a knife to the wrist on an assignment in China. It took me close to two years to have full memory back in that hand. It was frustrating."

"I think we've all been there, but you guys push yourselves harder than anyone else in SHIELD, and I'm including Ward in that statement," May said. "You three, me, Fury, Hill; we're all the ones that fight medical and push to get back into the fight faster than anyone."

"No results," Natasha said. "What about Tahiti and magic?"

"Worth a try," May said. "Nat, you've probably worked it out, but I'm sort of dating again."

"I noticed," Natasha said with a small smile. "He would be good for you, and you good for him. Just be sure he knows that we're watching to be sure he doesn't hurt you."

"I thought we'd managed to hide it from Phil," May admitted.

Natasha laughed. "You can't hide anything from Coulson," she said. "The man is scary sometimes with how much he knows and sees. I know a lot of that comes from me and Clint reporting everything we see and hear around base, but even then, Coulson still manages to know everything. One hit."

"Restricted access. Level eight," May said, reading the tag on the file.

"Well, that just means we need an agent with a higher clearance level," Natasha said with another smile.  
****

"Nick, you are not keeping me locked out of whatever the hell it is you did to me," Coulson said. "Give me access to that file."

"That file has absolutely nothing to do with you and your recovery," Fury snapped. "That is for another op and should not have been able to be accessed like that."

"You really expect me to believe that there happens to be another file about the one place that keeps popping up because of whatever the hell it is you had done to me while I was in medical along with magic and it is in no way linked to me?" Coulson said. "You've lied to me a lot lately, Nick, and I'm starting to wonder why. It certainly can't be because you're scared I'm going to shut down on you. I think I've proved that I'm stronger than that. I want to know what is happening to me."

Fury leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "We don't know," he said. "This is something none of us understand, Phil, and we're trying to figure it out along with you. I'm not lying to you, that file is nothing to do with you, your recovery, or anything relating to your case. That's something else I'm working on."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't care if you do or not," Fury said. "You are not accessing that file and that's final, Coulson. If I find out anyone has hacked into the system again then you are going to be pulled off that Bus and stuck down in medical so fast, you won't have to call anyone. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Sir," Coulson said. "That doesn't mean I believe you."


	65. Chapter 65

"Ward, where are we going?" Skye asked, looking at the city as it moved past the car windows.

"The academy," Ward replied. "Well, not the main one, that's classified and you have to be sedated to be taken there, but this is a branch academy where we test potential recruits to see what set of courses they would be best suited to. Not everyone that attend the academy becomes a field agent, but everyone that is employed by SHIELD goes there."

"What is it with all the secrets and lies in SHIELD, Ward?" Skye demanded. "Why don't you guys see how stupid it is for you to just blindly go along with everything and not questions anything you're told."

Ward sighed. "We don't," he said. "Yes, when we're training or in one of the bases we have to stay at our level and not try to do anything with higher level files. Information is restricted for a reason, mainly that we don't have the context for it. When you hacked into the level eight files and found the report on the op Fitz and I were on, you could have blown everything because you focused on one point instead of the broad picture."

"They didn't tell Coulson everything, Ward. They were going to leave you hanging out to dry," Skye said.

"Except that we had Barton tailing us," Ward said. "Between Agent Barton and myself, we would have been able to extract Fitz from that compound without May's help, although it wasn't unwelcome for the Bus to show up when it did. But bringing the Bus in like that caused other problems, things that will echo down SHIELD's dealings with groups in that area for years now."

"Okay, so you're saying that if I had stayed out of the files, you and Fitz would be just fine," Skye said. "How many men were shooting at you?"

"Around sixty," Ward said with a small shrug. 

"Against three of you."

"Two. Fitz wouldn't have been able to fight."

"That's thirty people each," Skye said.

"Yeah, so?"

"God, Ward, would you listen to yourself?" Skye demanded. "You're talking like fighting thirty heavily armed men is no big deal. You would have been killed if we hadn't shown up like we did."

"Skye, you don't make level six or higher without a very special skill-set," Ward said. "I'm a fighter. You haven't really seen me, yet, but I can face up to Barton, May, Romanov, and Coulson. Not at the same time, and I probably wouldn't win, but I can hold my own for a few minutes. The most important thing you need to realize is that SHIELD does things the way it does for a reason. We were pulled out of the shadows after the Battle of New York, but that doesn't mean our basic mission statement or procedures have changed. Now then, Coulson has called ahead and you're going to be joining an assessment class for two days. During that time, you will have no computer access, no phone, and no television. All written tests are done on paper to prevent cheating or hacking."

"That doesn't make any sense."

Ward grinned. "It does when you go into a room alone with nothing but a table, chair, paper and pencil," he said. "You have ten cameras watching you from every angle, Skye. There is no cheating on these tests. You won't be allowed to speak with the others in your class and there are punishments for breaking the rules. Coulson and I will not protect you from those. Not this time. You say you want to be a SHIELD agent, well, now is when you prove that to us."

"Great. You might as well send me to jail," Skye grumbled.

"Food's probably better in jail," Ward said. "Cheer up, Skye. This will show you more than you'll learn in the field in months, and I'll have some ideas on how to train you better once we're back on the Bus."

"Joy."  
***

Coulson looked at the box Tony had sent over with a certain amount of dread. He didn't know if he wanted to open it or burn it on the spot. "Clint."

"What?" Barton asked from the bedroom.

"There's a box here from Stark."

"It's probably a new suit for the Christmas party," Barton said. He appeared in the living room. "He threatened to have them made for all the guys on the team, something about never wanting to see Steve in such a badly fitting suit again. JARVIS, what's up?"

"Those are, indeed, your new suits, Clint," JARVIS replied. "Mr. Stark would have brought them in person, but Ms. Potts is keeping him in bed for a day or two while he recovers from his scare."

"You can say it, JARVIS, from when I attacked him," Coulson said. "I still don't know what happened there, but it makes me wary about being around anyone."

"Mr. Stark does not blame you, Sir," JARVIS said. "When he is able to talk again, he plans to tell you this in person. It seems we received false information and it is our fault for not checking into it more."

Barton paused. "Wait, J, who sent you the information on Tahiti?" he asked. "I don't know how it took me this long to work it out."

"Someone within SHIELD, Clint. Would you like me to track down an IP address for you?"

"Yeah. Let's see if we can track someone down," Barton said.


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, last scheduled update for a while. This is my last day of work and I fly to start house-hunting tomorrow. I'm taking my computer, but I don't know how much writing time I'll have given how many houses we're looking at and driving time.
> 
> I think I'll start doing bulk updates, three to four chapters at a time, so please keep your eyes open and, as always, thanks so much for reading. :)

Coulson knew he should have been surprised by how well the suit fit him, but it was Tony Stark and Tony really did seem to know everything he wasn't supposed to. "JARVIS, how, exactly, did the tailor get my measurements for this?" he asked, tying the bow-tie.

"Clint had one of your suits here, Sir," JARVIS replied. "One that was left behind when you went out with your new team, and new wardrobe. The tailor took your measurements from that and had this made for you."

"This is high quality," Coulson commented with a smile. "Clint, come on, I know you hate formal wear, but we don't want to be late."

Barton came out into the living room, bow-tie loose around his neck. "What the hell was Stark thinking with this vest thing?" he grumbled.

"Okay, first of all, that's a waistcoat," Coulson said. "The chain goes like this and the watch tucks in here. There you are. The token should hang just here. Chin up, Clint."

"You know I hate ties," Barton sighed.

"So does Tony, I'm sure," Coulson grinned, tying the purple fabric carefully. "There. I'll admit I had my doubts about the purple, but you look good enough to eat, Clint."

"Promises, promises," Barton said. "Still, I'm glad this is the smaller of the two parties. I don't know what I would do if this was the huge ass one Tony's still planning."

"Come on, let's go mingle and do our social duty with our family," Coulson said. He held out his hand, smiling when Barton took it. "We don't have to stay all night, Clint. Just long enough to say hello to everyone, talk a little, and then we can come back down here and have our own private party. I'll be honest, I'm just hoping that Fury keeps us out of the field long enough for me to get a few more answers. I keep waiting for my phone to ring, sending us back out into the field."

"I think he knows I want to spend Christmas with you this year, Phil. He's going to be here tonight, by the way. Tony didn't want to invite him, but Pepper insisted," Clint said. "You should have heard that argument. It lasted for three days and Tony wasn't exactly quiet about things in the common areas."

"Common level, Sirs," JARVIS said, opening the elevator doors for them. "Please enjoy your evening."

"Thanks, J," Barton said with a grin. "I wasn't sure about living here, Phil, but I have to admit that I love JARVIS."

Coulson smiled fondly. "He seems to love you as well, Clint. I've never heard him take to anyone like that," he said. "I always thought there was too much of Tony in him for JARVIS to like anyone else."

"Agent. Birdy, welcome," Tony said.

"Stark," Coulson said. "I'd like to apologize again. It seems that we both were set up. I won't let it happen again."

Tony flapped a hand. "It's cool," he said. "Don't worry about it. Seriously. It's coming up on Christmas which means good cheer and all that commercial crap."

"Tony," Pepper said, joining them. "Phil, Clint, you both look wonderful. Thanks so much for coming."

"You look amazing, Pep," Barton said with a grin.

"The team is already inside," Pepper said, kissing Clint's cheek softly. "Go on in and mingle before the others start arriving. I know you're both not comfortable in large groups. It's why I staggered arrival times a little."

"Pepper, you are, as always, amazing," Coulson said. "Thank you."

"Of course, Phil," she said.

Barton took Coulson's hand again and the pair headed into the main part of the common room. Tony had tried to bring decorators in to handle the various Christmas decorations, but Pepper and Steve had over-ruled him, and the team eventually managed to get things looking right. The main lights were dimmed so the candles - little electric light ones rather than open flames - and Christmas lights stood out a little more. Barton wasn't surprised when Natasha was the first one they found. "Hey Nat."

"Barton, Coulson," she said. "I'm sorry for not being able to find more in the computer for you, Coulson."

"You tried, Natasha, and that's what matters," Coulson said, looking around. He spotted Fury, Sitwell, May (which was a surprise), and a few other high ranking SHIELD agents he knew, along with Rhodey talking in small groups. "I wasn't expecting Melinda tonight."

"She snuck in and, when Tony found out she's your best friend, he agreed to let her stay," Natasha said with a small smile. "It's not like we don't have enough food."

"Where's the team?" Barton asked.

"Bruce is helping Steve with his suit and tie," Natasha replied, amused. "Thor hasn't landed yet, although we're expecting him any minute. Do you still want him to look at you, Sir?"

Coulson nodded. "I want to know if he can see anything at all," he said. "Anything that could give us a clue on where to start looking for answers."

"I know where we should start looking, Phil, but it's not going to happen," Barton said softly. "Fury knows something he's not telling any of us. I want to know what the hell it is."

"Me too," Natasha agreed.


	67. Chapter 67

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Two chapters scribbled out between driving and house-hunting. This is the only one ready to be updated. I'm trying to get into position to pick back up with the show. Enjoy. :)

Steve and Bruce had just walked into the area where the party was starting when thunder boomed overhead. Barton looked up and sighed. “He does know how to make an entrance.”

“That Thor?” Coulson asked, handing Clint a can of pop.

“That’s him. I guess he’s going to come in off the balcony area again,” Barton replied. “Let’s get him to look at you before Fury catches on to what we’re doing.”

“Sneaky,” Coulson said with a small smile. He started towards the balcony, not surprised when May joined them. “Melinda. Enjoying yourself?”

“Stark has good food,” May said with a small smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen some of these people and it’s good to catch up. We’re talking to Thor early?”

“As fast as we can,” Coulson said.

Barton slipped out onto the balcony and was talking with Thor when the others joined them. Thor looked up. “Son of Coul, what can I do for you this night?” he asked. “Hawkeye tells me you are afeared of a vision of a woman.”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, Thor,” Coulson said with a sigh. “We need to know if I’ve been touched by any sort of magic or compulsion since before I was stabbed. Is it something you can do?”

“I can try,” Thor said. “There are types of magic which I cannot see, but I have family that would be able to aid you more.”

“Anything you can do would be great,” Barton said.

Thor nodded and turned his attention on Coulson. “Let me look at you closely,” he said.

Barton moved over next to May. “What do you think?” he asked softly.

“My money is on magic that Thor isn’t familiar with,” May replied just as softly. “Think about it, would Fury really let us solve the problem this easily? I’m starting to ask more questions than we have answers, Clint.”

“Like what?”

“Like if Phil really is an LMD.” May held up a hand. “I know, they told you that they were going to be upgrading the LMD created for Coulson and you saw them working on it, but you weren’t there constantly. What if Fury’s been lying to both of us and, by extension, Phil.”

Barton sighed. “So we think he’s an LMD when he’s not and Fury had a magic user not known to Thor come in and patch him up when I was out on a mission with the Avengers?” he asked. “I dunno, Mel. That seems complicated, even for Fury.”

“Were you allowed to watch the upload process?”

“Some of it, yeah,” Barton said. “Not all of it because it took so long, but I was there for several hours of it.”

“So for all we know, there could be more magic mixed up in here than we thought there was originally, and Fury lied to the two of us about the LMD being put into use,” May said.

“Or Phil is an LMD and his coding is messed up and that’s why there’s no traces of magic,” Barton said. “Or, a third option is that he’s an LMD touched by magic and we don’t know who the hell is trying to hurt him that way.”

“Guys, could you not, please?” Coulson asked.

“Sorry,” Barton replied. “Whatcha got, big guy?”

“There is indeed a trace of magic lingering within the Son of Coul’s form,” Thor said. “I know not the source of it, but I can take the knowledge home with me to Asgard and speak with my mother more on this. She is more knowledgeable in magic than I.”

“That’d be awesome, Thor, thanks,” Barton said with a grin. “What do you think, Phil?”

“I think there’s someone out there that wants something from me and we’re not going to get answers without getting into the files at SHIELD that Fury is sitting on,” Coulson said. “Let’s go inside and get something to eat. Thank you, Thor. I appreciate the help.”

“It’s my honor,” Thor said, following them into the room. “Please let me know if there is anything more I can do to help you.”

Coulson pulled Barton off to the side just before they went back inside. “What was that talking about things around Thor?” he asked. “Are you trying to let everyone know what’s happened to me?”

“Thor goes into a trance when he’s looking deeply at a person,” Barton replied. “He doesn’t hear anything around him, on any level, until he starts talking again. We learned that one the hard way in a middle of a battle when we asked him about the creature attacking us. Nat had to knock him over to get him back with us again. I wouldn’t have risked it, Phil. Not for anything.”

“You’re positive?”

“As I can be,” Barton said. “So we know there’s a trace of magic in you. Now the question becomes, is that trace enough to be causing you all these visions and the post-hypnotic suggestion. It’s too bad we don’t have any other magic users in SHIELD. I want some answers.”

“I’m sure that Fury’s thought of that,” Coulson said. “There’s something he really doesn’t want me to know, Clint. It’s sort of freaking me out, to be honest.”

“Nat and I will keep digging as best we can,” Barton said. “I know you’re going to be back out in the field far sooner than we can have answers for you. I just wish that I was able to go along with you again.”

“I’ll have Steve with me, and you know he’s not going to let anything bad happen to me,” Coulson said. “Come on, we need to get back inside before Fury starts wondering where we are.”

Barton grinned. “We’ll just tell him we were having some private time in the bushes,” he said. “You know Fury never questions us too closely on our personal time together.”

“We need to mess your suit up a little if we’re going with that excuse, because right now you look far too neat for me to have been groping you.”

“Get me out of this tie and we can talk, Phil.”

“You’ve withstood worse.”

“Not recently.”


	68. Chapter 68

Ward left Skye in the processing area and went to find the agent in charge of the recent incoming class. “Hey, Danny,” he called, breaking into a jog. “Wait up.”

“Grant Ward, heard you were out doing top secret shit,” Danny said with a grin, holding out a hand. “What’s brought you here.”

“New intake,” Ward replied. “Girl we picked up, calling her a consultant to keep her on our team, but she thinks that our rules and regs are too strict and is always trying to break them. She managed to hack a level 8 server.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Wish I was. I’m sure that her tests will put her smack in the tech department, but she wants to be a field agent,” Ward said. “My AIC sent me down here with her to show her what it means to be a field agent by putting her through two days training with the latest group. You game?”

Danny grinned. “We doing this officially?” he asked.

“Just like we do every specially considered applicant,” Ward replied.

“Sounds to me like you guys want to scare her off, not get her into the program. What’s the real game?”

“She posted less than a mile as her base number after training with me every morning for several months. She’s not taking any of this seriously and nothing we say or do is getting through to her. I guess we’re hoping that this, here, will be enough to drive it home that there’s more at stake than a simple game.”

“All right, I can do that,” Danny said. “I’ll put her in my group and pair her up with one of the silent ones. You did tell her that, right? No talking unless officially sanctioned with punishment for every word said.”

“Yep,” Ward grinned. “I did my best to warn her about everything, but I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few things. Want to try and scare her into behaving. My AIC is the only one that can get her to do that, and then only if she thinks he doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“Which he always does,” Danny said. “I know who you’re working with, Grant, you don’t have to mince words. We all want to know how the hell Coulson survived the Battle of New York.”

Ward shrugged. “We don’t know. Talking to Coulson is like trying to talk to a brick wall,” he said. “He barely tells you what you need to know for a mission, forget small talk. The only one he’s even halfway talkative to is May.”

“That’s the other thing, how the hell did they pull Melinda May out of retirement?”

“From what I hear, Coulson asked her,” Ward said. “I was still trying to work out a few things when I joined the team, so I forgot to ask. Trust me, once you get her staring at you when you’re asking her a question and you don’t know if she’s going to answer or hit you, you stop asking questions.”

Danny laughed. “I believe it,” he said. “Still, it sounds to me like you guys are out there doing a hell of a lot of good.”

“I like to think so. We’ve got problems, but hell, what team doesn’t?”

“You’ve got Phil Coulson, Melinda May, and rumor says you’re shaping up better than anyone ever hoped,” Danny said. “All right, where’s this newbie you’ve brought in for me to terrorize into following the rules?”  
****

“Ward, this place is a nightmare, get me out of here,” Skye said. “Look at this. Bed. No chair, no desk, no dresser. Just a bar to hang six identical uniforms on. What the hell is the deal here?”

“I told you, this is the academy feeder,” Ward said, leaning against the door frame. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Starting in an hour, Skye, you’re part of the class and you will have to stay quiet. Do not try any of your crap here. I mean it. I went through the academy with your instructor and he’s not one to mess around with. You need to listen to him and follow the rules for once in your life. We’re not here to mess around. You’re here to learn how we do things not try to change things.”

Skye sat down on the bed and winced. “This is a rock,” she said. “I still don’t understand why I’m here. We should be in New York getting ready to go to Stark’s party, not down here in the middle of freaking nowhere dealing with drones.”

“That attitude is one reason we’re here. Yes, Coulson brought you in as a special consultant and he’s bent a lot of rules to keep you,” Ward said. “He’s done with that. You need to shape up or it’s very likely you’ll be dropped from the team for good. SHIELD has other hackers, Skye. They can do what you can do with a lot less whining involved. Coulson said specifically that he wants you to find out what a SHIELD agent truly is.”

“I know what a SHIELD agent is, Ward. It’s a drone cut out of a box that is blind to the world around them,” Skye said.

“Is that really what you think, Skye? After living on the Bus with Coulson, May, me, and FitzSimmons?” Ward said, voice dropping a little. “FitzSimmons are SHIELD agents. Do you think they’re drones? You spend more time down in the lab with them than you do the rest of us. Can you really say that you prefer the company of drones now?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Skye said, trying to backtrack a little.

“I don’t care how you meant it, just saying the words is insulting and you should have kept your mouth shut,” Ward said. “All of us have gone out of our way to make you feel at home and help you to adapt to this new situation you’ve found yourself in. Is this how you’re going to repay us? Just throw it all back in our face and ignore everything we’ve told you because it doesn’t match up to your ideal for the whole god damned world?”

“Ward, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“You’ve got orientation. Get changed and get out onto the field. All the instructors know who you are and whose team you’re on,” Ward said. “You screw up here, you put a black mark on Coulson’s record. He doesn’t like it when people tell him he’s not training someone correctly. You’ve got one chance to get it right for the first time in your life. Do not mess this up.”  
****

Coulson woke up with a groan. “Exactly how much did I drink last night?” he asked.

“Probably more than you should have, but it’s not like we have to be anywhere today,” Barton replied. “JARVIS, lights dim.”

“As you will, Sir,” JARVIS said softly. “The rest of the Tower is still asleep, save for Thor who returned to Asgard early this morning. I believe that Mr. Stark plans to have no activities today, save brewing coffee and avoiding sunlight.”

“Like a vampire, huh, JARVIS?” Barton grinned. “Coffee sounds good. I know I loaded the filter. Turn it on for us?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I like the sound of nothing to do today,” Coulson said. “Which, of course, means that I’ll have paperwork to deal with and it’s very likely Fury will call and need me for something.”

“He won’t. I think he drank more than you did last night,” Barton said.

Coulson rolled over and squinted up as his lover. “We should get married today,” he said out of nowhere. “Just go down to the courthouse and do it.”

“What about romance?” Barton asked.

“Clint, when have we ever really had romance?”

“Well, there was that one time bombs were exploding around us and you were keeping me from bleeding out from a gunshot wound and instead of saying hold on, you said I love you.”

Coulson grinned. “For us, that’s like a candle-light dinner,” he said. “Should we do it?”

“Why not? It’s not like we’ve planned out anything else in our relationship,” Barton said. “JARVIS, call the courthouse and make an appointment for us. Do not tell Tony. We’ll ask Nat and Mel to be our witnesses.”

“Yes, Sir.”


	69. Chapter 69

"So, we're set for tomorrow morning at the courthouse," Coulson said, setting his phone down. "Do you think you're going to change your mind, Clint?"

"Of course not," Barton replied. "I'd be down there now if not for having to follow the laws and rules. How do you want to spend the day, Phil?"

Coulson sat down on the sofa next to his lover with a sigh. "As much as I'd love to spend the day in the bedroom, I think that we need to talk about some things, Clint," he said. "Is it safe to talk here?"

"I've got room we can use," Barton said. "Come on. JARVIS, if anyone asks for us, we're out."

"As you will, Sir," JARVIS replied.

"You really do get along with JARVIS, don't you?" Coulson asked, following along behind Barton.

"Yeah, but I've made the effort. I figure if he's watching everything in the Tower, helping with everything, including going into battle with us, I needed to treat him as a full member of the team rather than a computer," Barton said. He shut the door behind them and engaged the security. "There we go, fully secure and no one can hear about what we're talking about. I set this up when I moved in for my Level 7 work so Tony wouldn't know about anything I was working on."

"Sneaky archer," Coulson said. "What do you think about what's going on with me, Clint?"

Barton sat down at his desk area with a sigh. "I don't know what to think, Phil," he admitted. "It's like I thought I knew what was going on and we would be able to handle the whole LMD thing. I knew when I saw you wake up that first time that things were going to change, but then they didn't because you didn't know. Then things started happening and then I'm not sure where we're standing now."

"I heard what you were talking about out on the deck, and I'm still not happy with you risking talking about something like that out in the open where anyone could hear about it, and I'm wondering if you're right or not," Coulson admitted. "I haven't felt right since I started working with the team and being an LMD would explain that away. I think we would have to have X-Rays to prove that one way or another, and you know that Fury isn't going to let us do that and, I think, that if he gets word of us doing something like that, he really will kill us. Nothing else on that, Clint, is that we have really pushed him as far as he's going to let us, and he will have us killed if we push any more."

"You're probably right. I know he really let me off easy for telling you the truth about the whole LMD thing, Phil. That's what really got me thinking as hard as I have been, and I've been researching everything I can on the LMD program," Barton said. "Not just what SHIELD has, but things that Tony has here at the Tower. I know we can't tell him, but he knows more about the LMDs than Fury thinks he knows."

"I also think Tony knows the truth. Remember, he came to your floor to talk to you about something specific last night, and Tahiti was just as a bad side-track," Coulson said. "Tony said he wanted to talk to us about something he'd noticed that he didn't think anyone else had. When I was over the shock of almost killing him, I thought about that and came to the conclusion that he knows more about what's happening to me than we think he knows."

"I do think there's a lot that Tony sees that he doesn't talk about with anyone other than JARVIS," Barton said. "I think that, if he can be convinced to be around us alone for a bit, then maybe we can find out exactly what he does know. The team doesn't really like Fury, so it's possible that we can trust them with this secret, Phil. You know that Nat will be behind us no matter what."

"That could go back to the problem of pushing Fury though," Coulson said.

Barton nodded. "True, but I also trust them not to say anything out of place," he said. "It's your choice, Phil. You've got us behind you no matter what. The Avengers are behind you no matter what, but I think that more eyes on this will be better than what we have now. You also have to consider that you'll have Cap out with you in the field, and he's not stupid."

"I just don't know, Clint, I really don't."

"Come here," Barton said. He held his arms open and smiled when his lover settled in against him. "We're in a place where we have questions and no answers and we're being blocked at every turn. It's like we're on a blind op, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it reminds me of Russia," Coulson said. "I've never liked blind ops, Clint. You know that. There's just too much that can happen, things that have to be fixed on the fly, and so many things can go wrong. It feels like we're heading into something we're not ready for. Something that is going to be a mess like nothing we've ever seen before."

"If you're getting that feeling, then I'm paying attention to you," Barton said. "You're never wrong. Not when you get a feeling about a problem or an op. Think how many times you've been able to pull a team, save an agent because you're not scared to pay attention to that instinct you have. There are not a lot of men I know that are willing to do that."

Coulson pulled back just enough to catch Clint's eyes. "Are you are about to call this my women's intuition?"

"I wouldn't dare," Barton said with a grin.

"All right, as long as we're on the same page there," Coulson said. "Why don't get through the ceremony tomorrow and Stark's last party and talk again? Then we can work out where we want to take this as things go to hell."

"I love it when you're serious," Barton said.


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three new chapters. The last episode will show up in the next batch. I'm hoping to be caught up by Tuesday in time for the new episode. I can't wait to see how I'm going to have to adjust my story to fit with the magic of the show.

“So, where have you two lovebirds been all day?” Tony asked when Clint and Phil joined the team for dinner. “JARVIS has been fielding calls all day from Skye, begging to be connected to talk to you about something about an academy and torture.”

“I’ll have to call Ward when I have a minute,” Coulson replied. “Skye should not have access to a phone and that worries me that she’s managing to make phone calls. JARVIS, how often did the calls come?”

“Every two hours, Sir,” JARVIS replied. “Would you like me to replay them for you?”

“No, that’s fine, JARVIS, thank you,” Coulson said. “Clint, I don’t know what to think at this point.”

Natasha looked over. “I could go down and take care of things for you, Coulson,” she said.

“We’ll hold you in reserve for now, Natasha, but thank you,” Coulson said. “Excuse me for a minute, everyone, I need to take care of this. Then there’s something I need to speak with everyone about.”

“Don’t look at me,” Barton said. “I have no idea what he’s plotting out.”

“Trouble in paradise, that’s a reason that I’m never getting married,” Tony said. “There’s tons of other reasons, JARVIS is keeping a list for me. What number are we up to there, J?”

“Five thousand, six hundred and eighty-nine, Sir,” JARVIS said. “With that addition to the list, of course.”

Bruce shook his head with a sigh. “Only you would do something like this, Tony,” he said. “Clint, do you really not know what it is Coulson wants to talk with us about?”

“Not a clue,” Barton said. “But he’s bad to keep things close until he’s ready to tell everyone what’s going on.”

Coulson had stepped just around the corner and pulled out his phone, shaking his head at Tony the whole time. The man was a genius, but there were times when Coulson really wondered exactly what that meant. “Ward.”

“Hey Coulson, what’s up?”

“Tell me how it is that Skye is managing to make a phone call every two hours when she’s supposed to have no outside contact until you return to New York,” Coulson said.

“Shit, I have no idea,” Ward said. “I’m sorry, Sir. I’m doing my best to keep an eye on her, but there are times when she’s off with her training team and I’m not allowed to tag along. You know how they are about having team members from a field team around when they’re trying to train a new recruit in the special fields.”

“I really should have been the one to take her down, but you’re on paper as her training officer, so it makes more sense for you to be there,” Coulson said. “How has she been doing?”

Ward sighed. “She’s fallen off the rope climb three times, got tangled up in the crawl through, and tripped while running,” he said. “I don’t know if she’s doing all of this on purpose or not, Sir, but I don’t think that anyone can be this clumsy.”

“How many punishment runs has she been on?”

“Two. I think she’s getting the idea that she has to keep her mouth shut unless someone is speaking directly to her, Sir. I don’t know what else I can do.”

“Do the best you can, just as you always do, Ward. I’m trusting this to you, and I know that you’ll do just that,” Coulson said. “I have faith in you for this. If Skye doesn’t work out, then she doesn’t and we’ll keep her on the Bus rather than letting her out in the field until she can post better numbers. Bring her files back to the Tower with you so I can see what the testers there have to say about her.”

“Will do, Sir,” Ward said. “Anything else you need me to do while we’re here?”

“Get her to stop falling off things,” Coulson said. “I suppose we should have expected it, but it still annoys me.”

“I’ll do my best, Sir,” Ward said. “See you when we get back to New York.”

“See you then,” Coulson said. He turned his phone off with a sigh. Skye was more problems than solutions and there was only so much he would be able to do. Coulson headed back into the dining room and sat back down next to Clint. “Sorry about that, everyone.”

Barton glanced over. “Everything okay?” he asked.

“I won’t know until I see the files,” Coulson replied. “Everyone, I have a request for you.”

“What’s going on, Coulson?” Natasha asked, looking over at him. “Do we have to hurt anyone?”

“Not at the moment,” Coulson said. “Although you can start planning to. I know you like to keep your knives sharp, Natasha. There’s something coming at us, something that will change things around more than any of us are expecting, and I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it ties in with the mystery woman that is showing up when I’m asleep, with the links to Tahiti, but I want everyone to be aware that it could. It’s possible that this is deadly danger coming, and I don’t know how it will be best to prepare for it.”

Steve looked down the table at Coulson, face serious. “What do we need to do, Sir?” he asked. “How can we help you?”

“Be ready for anything, Captain,” Coulson said. “I know you’ll be coming out with me when the Bus heads out again. I need you to keep your eyes open and talk to me about what you’re seeing while we’re out.”

“I can do that,” Steve said. “Could I get some information on the team I’ll be working with, so I’ll know if anyone is acting out of their normal character?”

“Sure, that’s a good idea,” Coulson said. “Tony, if we run into this group Centipede again, I’d like to be able to link up with you to talk about technology and science. I don’t know when we’ll see them again, if we ever will run back into them, but I want to be prepared for everything.”

Tony nodded. “Easy enough. You have the direct number to JARVIS,” he said. “J, make a note that if Coulson or anyone from his team calls, they’re to be put through immediately, no matter what’s going on, or what I’m working on.”

“Yes, Sir,” JARVIS said. “Agent Coulson, Sir, if I may be so bold, could I be of any help for you in the weeks to come?”

“Actually, JARVIS, we’ll keep you in reserve,” Barton said, before Coulson could answer. “Someone fed you guys information to get Tony hurt, and I don’t want to risk misinformation getting into this mess until we’re sure that we’re done with everything.”

“So someone set us up to mention that damn place to you?” Tony asked. “How the hell could anyone do something like that?”

“You’re probably the only one that can figure that out,” Coulson replied with a sigh. “Where did the information about Tahiti come from?”

“Via Pepper, I think,” Tony said. “I’ll have to check with her to see what she says, track a few things down, you know how it goes.”

Coulson sighed. “Unfortunately, I know it all too well,” he said. “Thank you everyone for your help. The team will be going back out in the fields far sooner than I’m ready for. We’ll have to work on the fly. Something I don’t like, but I also don’t know how else we can change that.”


	71. Chapter 71

Early the next morning, Coulson and Barton got up and dressed in dress shirts and trousers, clothes that Barton would be comfortable in, but were still fancy enough for a wedding. Natasha and May were going to meet them at the courthouse, trying to keep Tony from finding out what they were going to do. It wasn’t that they didn’t want their friends with them, it was more that they didn’t want the media that always followed Tony and the other Avengers around at the ceremony.

“Are you ready for this?” Coulson asked, slipping something in his pocket.

“What was that?”

“Rings, Clint. We need rings and I had a chance to shop over in England between Thor’s wrecking everything and us heading to our next assignment,” Coulson said. “Come on, we don’t want to be late for this.”

Barton grinned and followed behind his lover as they headed towards the elevator. “Nat would never let us hear the end of it,” he said. “There’s also the party tonight.”

“I’m still not sure exactly how you talked me into this,” Coulson sighed. “You know all too well how I feel about anything large and party-like around Stark.”

“Because you know that if you’re not there to keep an eye on me, I’ll take a bunch of food up into the rafters and drop it on random people just to see how they react,” Barton said. “I managed to make a reporter drop her notebook into the salsa one time.”

“How did I not hear about this one?”

“It was while you were recovering,” Barton said softly. “The reaction was a thing of beauty, Phil. She’d just spent about five hours interviewing Tony, trying to tell the difference between his truth and his lies and was just moving onto Steve when I got her. The notebook couldn’t be saved and the interview never got published.”

“Clint, what did we tell you about letting the press interview you guys and letting them publish those interviews.” Coulson started the car and glanced over at his lover. 

“Yeah, but she was going to publish the lies and hurt the team,” Barton said. “Why are we driving, Phil? We could take the main car and let Happy drive us. Then you wouldn’t have to stress about it.”

“I like driving, and that is one perk to knowing Tony,” Coulson said. He pulled out into traffic. “So Tony probably knew that they were going to be publishing the lies and was playing with the reporter.”

“Playing or no, I don’t like it when people tell reporters things about me on my downtime,” Barton said.

“Okay, I probably would have done roughly the same thing then,” Coulson said. He turned into a parking lot and turned off the car. “Ready?”

Barton pushed a button on the dash. “JARVIS, we’re in the lot,” he said. “Activate standard security protocols and I’ll do the tap on the trunk when we’re back.”

“Sir,” JARVIS said.

“Tony uses him for security on the cars too?” Coulson asked. He slipped the keys in his pocket and headed towards the pay stand.

“Yep, better than any built-in security system,” Barton replied. “Okay, I have to admit, Phil, I never thought that we’d get to this point, but I’m glad we have. Growing up, I never thought I’d find anyone that would want to marry me. I know how lucky I am.”

“We both are,” Coulson said. “There’s Melinda.”

Barton had to grin. “Of course she would wear her field shit for this,” he said. “Mel, where’s Nat?”

“She’s running a security sweep,” May replied. “We’re ready to go. I checked, the license is ready for you. They didn’t want to tell me, but I got around them.”

“Of course you did,” Coulson said. “Come on, Clint, you know that Natasha will find us. Let’s go sign the license and meet with the judge.”

“I almost wish we didn’t have to do that part. I don’t know what I should say,” Barton admitted.

“Sure you do, you just don’t know it yet,” Coulson said.

The pair took care of the paperwork, Natasha showing up just when they needed her, and then they went before the judge. Coulson handed the rings to May and took Clint’s hands in his own. “Clint, when I saw you the first time, you stunned me,” he said. “Your grace and poise, the way you move, your focus and dedication, it was enough to make me question if we would ever be able to work together, let alone become friends. Finding love, that was the most amazing day of my life, and I never thought I would be able to match that. I didn’t, not until the day you agreed to marry me. For now, and forever.”

Barton was pretty red by the time Coulson was done talking, but took a deep breath. “You know I’m no good with words, Phil,” he said. “I’m a man of action, always have been and always will be, but knowing that you’re there supporting me while I’m working, while I’m living, that let’s me have stability and love I never once thought I’d be able to have. There’s no one else I want next to me.”

May would deny it later, but she wiped away a tear when the pair exchanged rings.


	72. Chapter 72

The ballroom Tony rented for the large Stark Industries party was decorated by professionals. Even Pepper hadn’t been able to argue the logic behind that one. Barton wasn’t fond of Christmas decorations, but even he had to admit that it was tasteful and understated enough that he would be able to ignore it while he talked with his friends. It wasn’t a place he normally would be, but being an Avenger meant he had to do more than he didn’t want to do. As a spy with SHIELD, he stayed in the background and never went out in public unless he absolutely had no choice for an op. That had changed with the Battle of New York, and more people knew who he was, even as a Level 7 agent.

“I can’t believe you did it without telling any of us,” Tony said, when he caught sight of the rings. “You just went off and got married without telling any of your friends.”

“We told Nat and Mel,” Barton said. “Just shut it, Stark. You show up with the team and the press would have been right behind you. We wanted to keep it low-key and quiet. Two words that you still haven’t mastered.”

“Of course I haven’t. Why would I want to? I wouldn’t be me if I was low-key and quiet,” Tony said. “I have to be out on the open. I’m a Stark. I’m flashy and loud and happy to be both.”

“Then go be both somewhere else,” Barton said. “You have guests coming in and I’m sure that Pepper needs you for something.”

“Thank you,” Coulson said softly, once they were alone. “I was worried that Natasha was about to do something to him, and explaining blood at a party like this would be too hard.”

“No problem,” Barton said. “You have incoming at my nine, Sir.”

Coulson turned and caught sight of Skye with Ward trailing behind her. He sighed and braced himself. “Skye.”

“What the hell was that, Coulson?” she demanded. 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Coulson replied. “Ward, you have something for me?”

Ward handed over a thumb drive. “Everything is there, Sir,” he said. “Has the rest of the team arrived?”

“FitzSimmons are by the punch bowl, May is with Romanov,” Coulson said. “Dr. Banner and Captain Rogers are around here somewhere, and, sadly, Thor won’t be joining us. I’m sure you saw Stark when you arrived.”

“We did, and he reminded me that Director Fury is here,” Ward said. “Something about the oysters, but I really didn’t understand what he was talking about.”

Barton grinned. “You don’t want to, and don’t worry about it,” he said. “Go mingle and have fun, Ward. These are mainly Tony’s business associates and lower ranked SHIELD agents. I’m sure that we all have fans in the group that we don’t know about.”

“I think I’ll go find May and do a sweep,” Ward said. “Sir?”

“That’s a good idea. Tell May I think the roof needs to be checked,” Coulson said, expression not changing. “Thank you again, Ward. It’s good to have an agent on the team I can trust.”

“Sir. Barton. Skye, behave,” Ward said.

Skye’s face had been growing steadily redder while Ward and Coulson were talking. “Coulson, what the hell were you thinking sending me into that place?” she demanded. “That was absolute hell.”

Barton handed her a glass of wine. “That goes in your mouth, Skye,” he said. “It ends up on my husband, or on me, and you will never be able to move again without being in a target.” His eyes went hard and his voice dropped. “Do you understand me?”

“Threats?” Skye almost shrieked.

“Promises,” Barton said. He kissed Phil on the cheek. “I’m going to go find Director Fury, Sir. See you later.”

“Coward,” Coulson said fondly. He knew that Clint wasn’t going far, and would be able to hear everything that was said when he was alone with Skye. “All right, Skye, I’m afraid I don’t understand what your problem is. That academy is the same one that every applicant to SHIELD attends. You have to pass there to go to the main academy and specialize in your field. You tell me you want to be a field agent, I have my doubts, but I’ll give you a chance. I gave you exactly what it is you asked for, and you return to me upset and ready to hit. I’m afraid, I don’t understand what the problem is.”

“There’s no reason for you to have sent me there. I’m already on a team, Coulson, in case you hadn’t noticed,” Skye said. “I’m already working in the field for SHIELD, and there’s no reason for me to go to the academy.”

“Of course there is. You didn’t post numbers in your physical tests that will let you go out into the field,” Coulson said. “You need to see that you have to spend more time training with Ward, with the team, when we’re on downtime. Right now, you’re spending all your free time in your bunk with your computer and that has an effect on your performance in the field. When we’re back on the Bus, you’re on limited time in the field. The doctors say I can’t take you out at all, but we’re a small team and I need to know that any of us can do whatever is needed.”

“Ward is a monster when it comes to training,” Skye protested. “He wants me to run like five miles and I can’t do that.”

“Right now you can’t, no, but you also can’t run a mile and that’s a problem. You need to start working to get your endurance up, Skye. You also need to learn to follow orders, and that’s something you don’t know how to do right now,” Coulson said. “You spend more time questioning me than you do listening to what I’m saying, and in the field, that can be deadly. I sent you to the feeder academy for assessment by an impartial member of SHIELD. Ward brought me those papers. I’ll review it in the morning, just before we head back to the Bus. You have tonight to make up your mind if you want to be a field agent and work towards that, or if you want to be in the tech department and spend more time working with FitzSimmons.”

Skye took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You told me I could be a field agent.”

“Yes, I did. I told you that you could, but there’s no magical formula to become a field agent,” Coulson said. He caught the sausage roll without blinking. “You train until you become that good. Have a good night, Skye. I have to go talk to my husband about throwing food around again.”


	73. Chapter 73

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Between traveling, packing, and a pulled muscle in my shoulder, I haven't had the energy or time to write anything. I know I'm horribly behind on this story, but I'm still thinking about ways to make this work. Here's a short little chapter getting things set up for Coulson's kidnapping.
> 
> I'm on a rest break with ice on my shoulder. We're pulling roughly nine and a half hour days packing up the house for the move.

"Clint, you need to let me up," Coulson said softly the next morning. "Come on, I've got to get Steve and head out. There's been a prison break and the men sent in were identified as Centipede."

Barton cuddled closer and muttered a little. Coulson smiled fondly. "I know, it's our honeymoon, but you know that I need to be on the ground to help with this. My team has been front and center against Centipede since we found out about it."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Barton said. "You'll be careful, right?"

"As careful as I can be, yep," Coulson said. "Fury's letting us pick up Mike Peterson, so we'll have two super-soldiers on the team until this is over with." He kissed the top of Barton's head. "Come on, up."

"I don't leave until tonight," Barton said. "I'm staying right here. You wore me out last night, Phil."

"Good. Then I don't have to worry about you getting in trouble until tomorrow morning," Coulson said. He slipped out of bed and headed for the shower. "You sure you don't want to join me?"

"You fight dirty," Barton said.  
****

"Nice ride, Sir," Steve said, looking around the Bus. "Where do you want me to stow my gear?"

"We don't have a lot of spare space, but you can use the empty bunk on the end," Phil replied. "Thanks for coming along to help out with this, Cap. I don't know what we're facing, but I need to know I have more people I can field. Things aren't working out well with the team right now."

Steve dropped his bag on the bunk and turned back towards Phil. "I noticed that when I was reviewing information on your people," he said. "May and Ward are sound, although it's hard for me to get a good read on Ward. I'm not one to question why anyone would put questionable people on a team, Phil, but Skye really puzzles me."

"There are various reasons behind her presence on the Bus," Coulson said. "Come on, we should strap in while May gets us up in the air. I feel like I should send Skye to the academy and let her become a field agent that way, but at the same time, there's a lot of the same problems that both Clint and Natasha had at the beginning, and working with me helped to settle them both down."

"I meant to say congratulations earlier," Steve said. "You guys are good for each other."

Coulson blushed. "I like to think we are," he said. "Cap, this group we're going up against is going to be like fighting Hydra back in the day for you. These new soldiers are unlike anything I have ever seen before, the corrupted science is sickening, but they will fight until they die or are killed. I think that you're one of the few people on the planet that has a chance against them. Part of me wishes I could bring your whole team for this upcoming fight."

"Bruce would have been good, but I'd like to keep Tony, Clint, and Tasha out of it," Steve said. "They're all fighters, but they're human and can be hurt easily. I know that Tasha had things done to her, things that help her to fight, but I'll be honest, Sir. I hate to see her hurt more."

"I know what you mean," Phil said. "Mike Peterson is going to be joining us soon, and he's one of the early Centipede soldiers." He handed over a tablet as the plane took off. "We're not sure what stabilized him, he was close to exploding when we took him, but he's at one of the academies working to become an agent, and is willing to work with us. One thing to know, Cap. Mike is loyal to one person and one person only. His son. That means that he has a weak spot."

Steve nodded. "Can SHIELD hide the son away?"

"We tried that, but Mike found out about it and insisted the boy go back to his aunt's house," Coulson said with a sigh. "I've seen Mike change sides in the middle of an argument. He's a fighter, but his loyalty is compromised badly."

"I'll keep an eye on him, Phil. Until we're sure he's loyal to SHIELD above everything else, he's a risk in the field, and one that needs to be monitored."

"Thanks, Cap. I'm going to go get the briefing on Po and Centipede ready. Review those files so you're up to speed and I'll call everyone together when I'm ready to start. I don't know what we're going into, but it's not going to be good."


	74. Chapter 74

Steve stayed in the background and watched Mike once the other man was on the Bus. He could see what Phil meant, the man was eager to please, happy to be with the team, but there was a small something that kept nagging at every instinct Steve had. There was next to no privacy on the Bus, and Steve was able to watch Mike when the rest of the team was working and seemed to forget the newest member of their team was around. 

"Captain, can I join you?"

"Sure, have a seat," Steve said, clicking off the tablet he was working on. Coulson had given him every file they had on Centipede to review while he and Ward were out trying to get a location on one of their suspects. "What's on your mind, Mike?"

"I was just curious why you're here," Mike said. "Everyone was under the impression that the Avengers didn't know that Agent Coulson is alive."

"We've been keeping it quiet," Steve said. "I'm here as a favor to Director Fury. These new soldiers pack a punch and it sounds like something I went up against back in the War. The Director wants me to take a look and see what I think."

Mike nodded with a grin. "Between the two of us, maybe we can bring one of them in for questioning," he said.

"I don't think it's going to be that easy," Steve said. He paused when May's voice came over the intercom.

"Everyone strap in and general call. We have a location for Centipede," she said. "Coulson's home and we're in the air in five."

"Guess we'll find out," Mike said.  
****

Steve stayed close to Coulson and Mike in the warehouse and watched everything. It was something that a lot of people didn't know about him, that he could fight, calculate, and watch all while under heavy fire. It was one of the things that made him such a good commander in the field. Steve noticed Ward and May, stored it away for later, and dodged a punch aimed at his head. His shield wasn't much use, but it was an extension of him, and Steve landed two sound blows on one of the Centipede soldiers.

"You okay, Phil?" he asked, when the fight was over.

"How did they know we were coming?" Coulson asked in reply, panting for breath. "Come walk with me, Steve. May, take care of clean-up."

May nodded, face as impassive as ever. Steve slung his shield over his shoulder and fell into step next to Coulson. "You're right that there's something we're missing, Phil," he said softly. "We came in here expecting to see a full laboratory and, instead, we walked right into an ambush. The sister called our causality back there, but that wouldn't have been enough to tip them off, would it?"

"We monitored that phone call, nothing was said that could even have been in code," Coulson replied. "We have some of their tech now. Get Stark on the video conference and let's start looking at what they've got. FitzSimmons will probably go into spasms of delight over working with Stark, but that's only because they don't know how he really is. I'm going to see what else I can find on the players we know about."

Steve nodded. "Tony will behave on this one, he knows how serious it is," he said. "I know how he really is, too."

"Some would say we're the lucky ones," Coulson said. He turned and looked back into the warehouse. "Give me your rundown."

"Ward and May work well together, they're a good one/two punch, but Ward needs to focus more on the fight and less on his girlfriend," Steve said. "May's going to be pissed about that move later on. You might want to mention they shouldn't argue about it on the Bus where anyone can hear them. Mike wants to fight, almost too much. I think he believes he feels he has to prove himself, not to us, but to himself. That's impossible to do, and he's never going to manage it."

"I'll talk with him," Coulson said. "Get to work with FitzSimmons and Tony. There's going to be a lot of tech talk, but I trust you to be able to get the gist of the conversation, Steve. I need you on that end because you're the one true example of a super-soldier on the planet. What Centipede is trying to do is a corruption of the gift given to you. Work out how they think for me."

"Yes, Sir," Steve said with a grin. "Although I can tell you right now that the men we fought here today, they were all soldiers to the core. Men that might not have made it in the military for long, some problem kicking them out, but that's their mindset. Even with that kill switch in their heads, they wanted to be here. They wanted to fight us. I didn't see fear until we had one down and he was losing. These men believed that they were the best, that they wouldn't be beaten by anyone, and that's a dangerous sort of man to go up against. They have nothing left to lose."

Coulson nodded with a sigh. "You're right about that one, Steve," he said.


	75. Chapter 75

"There is a lot of science to go through here," Fitz said, looking at the various pieces of Centipede tech on the main table in the lab. "Where do we even start?"

"Scanning everything," Tony said from a monitor behind him, causing both Fitz and Simmons to jump. "Once the tech is in the computer, send me the files as an attachment and I can work on it from here, while you're working on it there. Coulson tells me you're two of the brightest SHIELD has, wonder twins, so prove him right."

Steve shook his head with a sigh. "Stark, behave," he said. "What can you tell us right now?"

"There's a lot of cell phone activity around each of these so-called secret labs that this group is using," Tony said. "I've sent my results over to you guys, you should have them by now. Three numbers show up constantly and one at set intervals, so it's possible that the true leader of this group isn't with them. He's somewhere else, somewhere hidden, and is calling in with instructions and information for his on-site henchmen. This group moves quickly. I've got a satellite scanning for new labs, something that will show us where they are setting up base, but right now, I've got nothing. Once I have the tech readout on that band you guys took from the dead guy, I can program the scans to search for that and find the labs that way."

Simmons looked back at the monitor. "How exactly are you doing all of this?" she asked. "We've been trying to track this group for months and haven't been able to come up with anything that could lead us to them."

"Your hacker is handicapped," Tony replied. "I'm sure the Skye would have worked out something similar if she hadn't been stupid on another op and would up with the tech destroying bracelet of doom on her. Get me the scans, kids. We need to get to work before Coulson shows up and gives us the finger of doom or something worse. He doesn't have his tazer with him, does he?"

"I always have it, Mr. Stark," Coulson said, walking into the lab. "The cell phone records are a good start, although I worry about the legality of how you managed to obtain them."

"Come on, Agent, you know I'm above-board," Tony said with a grin. "Tech readouts. Let's get to work on these, Brucie. Load them up, JARVIS."

"Yes, Sir."

Skye appeared in the door to the lab. "How come I've never met JARVIS?" she asked. "How do you even have a butler in this day and age?"

"I'm that rich," Tony said. "Agent, I'll get to work with my science bro here and ping back as soon as we know something, even if it's just another lab location. Cap, be careful out there. I don't want to have to break in a new Capsicle this late in the game."

Steve grinned. "I'll be alert, Tony. Good luck." He looked over at Coulson. "I'd like to see the body, if I could, Sir. It's possible I'll see something that no one else knows to look for."

Coulson nodded. "That's a good idea, I'll come with you. Skye, stay here and work with FitzSimmons on the tech," he said. "I want to know what we're dealing with, and I want to know sooner rather than later."

"I should be on the computer trying to find records for Po or our mystery woman," Skye said. "I'd be more use there than here."

"There's small circuitry in the bands that I want you to decode," Coulson said. "If you finish that, and get every drop of information off of there, then you can go work on your computer. FitzSimmons, let me know when you have something for me."

"Yes, Sir."

"Will do."

Steve followed Coulson down the hall and into the improvised morgue. "I believe I see what you mean, Sir," he said.

"I know part of it is age, part of it is upbringing, and part of it is just natural behavior, but it's frustrating," Coulson said. "I caught her researching her mother again, and that's not something she's supposed to be doing. Here, he's all yours."

"More of SHIELD's secrets, Sir?"

"SHIELD keeps things hidden for a reason, Steve, you know that," Coulson said. "I should also tell you that Centipede has Mike's son and wants to make a trade. Mike for the boy. This is an ambush and I want you to get into a place that no one can see. I don't like that there's someone able to see our every move, Cap, but I don't see any other way to play this. Mike will have a tracker on him and we can follow it directly to their base."

"I think everyone on the team should have trackers implanted, Phil," Steve said. "Trackers that can't be taken out easily by surgery or electronics just in case. I think it's possible that Mike isn't telling us everything."

Coulson nodded with a small smile. "You are I are on the same page, Steve," he said. "Mine has already been implanted, it was done at HQ when I was going through all the tests. Simmons is going to take care of everyone else on the team. Centipede wants something from us, but I don't think it's our version of their super-soldier. They've managed to stabilize their people so they don't blow. What else could they possibly want?"

"Life after death," Steve said softly, looking down at the body of the Centipede soldier. "An army of men that can fight through death and out the other side."

"Who do we know that's done that?" Coulson asked.

Steve looked up and nodded. "I'll be right behind you at all times, Sir," he said. "They think this is a trap, but we can turn it to our advantage."

"Then let's do that," Coulson said.


	76. Chapter 76

Coulson called Ward and Steve into the cockpit with May while they were flying to the exchange point. "Engage your filter for me, please, Mel," he said. "I know this is cramped, guys, but I need to know that we're the only ones that know what's going on. We're walking right into an ambush and I need you all to do exactly what I tell you, please. I don't know who else I can trust right now, especially with Clint and Nat out on another op."

"Lay it on us, Sir," Ward said.

"Mike Peterson has given me incomplete information on the exchange we're heading to," Coulson said. "There's no logic behind Centipede asking for him in exchange for his son, no matter what he's told me. Captain Rogers and I believe that I am the true subject of the switch and will be taken on the bridge. They are going to also have other weapons set up around the area. Ward, I want you up high. Get in a perch with a sniper gun and have eyes on everything."

Ward nodded. "Any idea why they want you, Sir?"

"I came back to life and no one knows how or why," Coulson said. "Centipede wants to rule the world. If they could bring their men back to life, think about what they could do."

"I hate situations like that," Ward said with a glance at May.

She snorted softly. "I just have to teach you how to use a sword," May said. "You cut off a man's head, you need more than magic or science to bring him back to life again. Where do you want me, Phil?"

"With the team. When I'm taken, Steve is going to be hidden somewhere close-by so he is going with me," Coulson said. "I know Fury, I know how he thinks and what he'll do next. Agent Hand will be given the Bus, our team, and orders to find me. Mel, you're the one she's going to ask about Skye. Ward, you're Skye's SO, you stand up for her just like you're expected to. Mel, you know what to do."

"Of course," May said. "You do know that we won't be able to keep Clint and Nat off the Bus once they find out what happened to you."

"I'm counting on it. I don't like the high-handed attitude towards agents that Agent Hand has," Coulson said. "Clint and Nat are agents, but they're also Avengers. They don't have to listen to her and can report back on her. No one, and I mean no one, talk about the vents on this Bus. Give Clint an edge, let's find out what's really being said."

"Sneaky," May said with a small smile. "Phil, you do know that Centipede may well kill you."

"No they won't, because I'm no use to them dead," Coulson replied. "Tortured, probably, but I've lived through worse than they can know about. I've got a tracker in me, one that no one else knows about, and it would take significant cutting to get it out. You guys have the code for it. Use that to track me down as fast as you can. I'm going to do everything I can to get us intel on Centipede, but I don't want to be there more than two days."

Ward nodded. "Understood, Sir. Captain Rogers, where are you planning to hide out?"

"Wherever I can find a spot no one can see me," Steve said. "I'm not sure how they're planning to transport Phil away from this bridge, but I doubt it'll be by car. I'll sneak in under the bridge on the support struts and see what they have hidden on their side. People think I'm too big to fit in small places, but they underestimate my flexibility. I don't know if I'll be able to help Phil once we're back on the ground or not, so don't dawdle on things, guys. This is big, and we need to move as quickly as we can."

"We will," May said. "Coming into land now. You're sure you want to do this, Phil?"

"No, but what else can we do?" Coulson asked. "I can't let that little boy be hurt, Mel. He never asked for any of this. His father made bad decisions, it's not his fault. We need to get him away and somewhere safe where his father can't hurt him again."

"Losing his father will hurt, Sir," Ward pointed out.

"I know, but sometimes that hurt will cause the most amazing transformations you will ever see," Coulson said. "Ward, go get your gun and check your gear. Captain, see you when I see you."

May looked over when Coulson sat down next to her, but didn't speak until the door was shut again. "You don't think you're coming back, do you?"

"Keep this safe for me," Coulson said, handing over his wedding band. "It's a weapon that could be used against me, and I don't want that risk. Tell Clint that I'm going to do my best to blank him out of my mind, just to be safe. He'll know what I mean."

"All right," she said. "You know I think you're an idiot, right, Phil?"

"Of course, but you've always thought that about me," Coulson said with a small smile. "I'm depending on you to take care of the team, Mel. Keep Skye away from Hand. I don't care what you have to do, keep them apart."

"Understood. See you on the other side of hell, Phil."

"Bombs are the least of our worries. There's only one person I can think of they want to blow up."

"Mike. They still want him for something."

"Make sure not to collect his body. He's betrayed me one too many times. Let's see what happens if we leave him behind," Coulson said.

"Cold, Phil."

"Realistic." He stood up and squeezed her shoulder gently. "You're still my best friend, Mel."

She glanced back with a smile. "You too."  
****

In the smoke and flames from the bomb, after Ward was shot and the fires were burning on the bridge, May was the only one that saw the body lying beneath the helicopter as it flew away with Coulson inside. Steve was with Coulson, even if the rest of the team couldn't be. She sighed, time to handle another clean-up operation. Getting Ward down from the perch would be complicated with just Skye, Fitz, and Simmons.


	77. Chapter 77

The team stood in the ops room and tried not to flinch. Director Fury was on the video monitor and he was not happy. "You mean to tell me that Phil Coulson, my one good eye, the sharpest agent I employ, walked into an ambush and didn't think things through first?" he demanded.

"He knew," May said.

"Then what the hell was he thinking?"

"We had to get the child back," May said. "You know Coulson, Director. You know exactly what was going through his mind the whole time. We have our orders from him, Sir. Are you going to counter them?"

"Do they involve tracking his ass down and rescuing him from himself?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Then no, I'm not, but I am putting Agent Hand in immediate command of your team and I do not want to hear one whisper from her, or from anyone, that any one of you disobeyed a direct order," Fury said. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir," May said.

Fury turned the glare directly on her. "Not just Coulson's orders, May. If Agent Hand gives you a direct order, you will follow it. I have space in the brig and I will not hesitate to use it. I've been lenient with you and your team up until this point, but I am at the end of my patience. Do not push me."

"What if the order from Agent Hand is in direct conflict with the orders we received from Coulson?" Ward asked.

"Use your best judgement. Coulson has a reason for everything he does," Fury sighed. "You are not to antagonize Agent Hand, Agent Ward. She does things a little differently than Coulson does. Remember that."

"Yes, Sir."

"Get me my one good eye back," Fury said just before closing the call.

Skye looked at May and Ward. "What do you mean you guys have orders from Coulson?" she asked. "He never told us anything."

"Coulson talked to the people he needed to talk to," May replied. "I suggest you go and clean up your personal space and make sure that anything not directly approved by Coulson is hidden away. He's not here to protect you. FitzSimmons, go and get the lab ready for more personnel. Fury is sending along ten scientists and they're going to need space to work."

"Who put you in charge?" Skye asked.

"Coulson did," May replied. "Unlike him, I don't take backtalk. Move it."

Ward stayed behind when the others scattered. "You know that Skye is going to do something to draw Agent Hand's attention right to her," he said. "How are we going to handle it?"

"Skye won't be any good to the team on the plane, Grant," May said. "She works best outside the box. I'm going to get her to a place she can work her own line of inquiry, but I need you to look shocked and hurt when I do it, so I won't tell you more. Trust me?"

"Of course," Ward said. He glanced up at the ceiling. "I don't think I'm going to get used to him being up there. Need anything before the troops get here?"

"Nah, I'm stocked up," Barton replied through a grill. "Nat's waiting for Agent Hand in the cargo bay and I've planted bugs in a few places no one will know about them. I'm with Phil, I don't like this, guys."

"I don't either," May said. "Clint, he said he's going to do his best to wipe you from his mind. He said you'd know what that meant."

Barton's face appeared. "We've got a clairvoyant involved in this somehow and Phil knows about it," he said. "His girlfriend in Portland will be at the front of his mind from the moment he's taken until we get him back."

"Wait, you're the one he was talking about in the car?" Ward asked.

"He says I'm a bigger mystery than most women," Barton replied with a grin. "Hand is here, gotta go. Have fun, kids. Mel, don't traumatize Hand too badly. I want that chance."

"Toss you for it later," May said. She looked up at Ward. "Are we ready for this?"

"I doubt it, but we're both good at working under pressure," Ward replied. "Heads down and get through this."

"Agreed."


	78. Chapter 78

"We have a lock on Coulson," Ward whispered as he passed May in the hall. "How long before we can go?"

"Another day at least," May replied. "I want these bumbling idiots off my Bus, Grant. How did they get to the level they're at stomping around like this?"

"All muscle, no brains," a vent said. "You guys need to get up to the ops room. Hand is giving yet another inspirational briefing. I'm heading down to interrogation. Time to shake our guy up a little."

Ward nodded. "Have fun," he said.

"We need less talk and more action," May said as the pair started back towards the ops room. "Too much more of this and I'm going to do something she'll regret."

"I'm honestly surprised to see you out of the cockpit," Ward admitted.

"I needed a snack," May said. "They've tried to give me a second up there, but no one will stay in the room with me. I don't understand why, I've been pleasant."

Natasha fell into step behind them. "That's why they all look so pale when they show up again then," she said. "You and I do pleasant the same way, Mel."

"Yeah, it's terrifying," Ward said. He stepped into the back of the ops room along with the girls just in time to hear Agent Hand talking about the interrogation process and how they didn't have any answers just then, but their best person was working on it.

"Everyone has their orders. Ward, May, and Romanov stay. Everyone else, dismissed," Hand said. "I'm curious why you're on this bus, Agent Romanov."

"I had a free day from saving the world and thought I'd tag along," Natasha said blandly. "See how my friends are, enjoy the cramped quarters with the brute squad again. They've relaxed too much, I thought I could help toughen them up a little."

"Director Fury might appreciate your sense of humor, but I do not," Hand said. "I want the truth."

"So do a lot of people, they never see it, even when it bites them," Natasha said. 

"Agent Coulson allowed you all far too much leeway on his team," Hand said. "You'll all find I do things very differently and I expect you all to fall into line as an example to the other agents here."

Barton dropped down directly behind her. "You first," he said softly. "Ward, you might want to see what you can do."

"Seriously?" Ward asked.

"You're the only one that can," Barton replied. "FitzSimmons are ready for you."

"All right, later," Ward said.

"Agent Barton, where the hell did you come from?" Hand demanded.

"Iowa," Barton replied, face perfectly straight. "Via hell, Los Angeles, never-going-there-againsville, and a few other delightful holes in our so-called great country." He leaned on the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm here at Director Fury's request, which means you have no say on what I do, where I go, or what I see. You doubt me, call him and ask."

"I'm going to do that, and where did Agent Ward go?"

"To do what your people are too soft to do," Barton said softly. "You've been out of the field too long, Agent Hand. You've started believing the lies printed in the books, seeing the lies in the paperwork as the truth. The field isn't the neat box reports make it out to be, and sometimes you have to be willing to get your hands a little dirty to solve the problem. Then it's all glossed over in the report, made pretty for paper-pushers like you that never see blood."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hand said.

Barton grinned, which was more terrifying than the blank expression he'd had on a moment before. "Blood never fully washes off your hands, Agent Hand," he said. "You people in the Hub, in the analyst department, you see everything as words and as black and white. Blood is red, it's warm and it's sticky, and it will cover you up the more you kill. Every specialist and field agent knows that. I wonder if you do."

"I'm going to contact Director Fury and have you removed."

"Good luck with that. I know the Bus better than you do," Barton said.

May glanced over once they were alone. "I wouldn't take her out in the field for anything."

"Tell me about it. More likely to shoot you in the back to save her own hide than bring a team home safely," Barton said. "Twelve hours, Mel. You want to get us turned around?"

"Yeah, I'll get us ready to go, but you know our new leader won't like me reversing direction without orders from her."

"Orders from Fury and Coulson trump all," Barton grinned. "We're lucky to have them on our side, no matter how much Fury lies, and about what."

"You know something new."

"Tony did some hacking. It's not pretty, Mel, and he lied to both of us, too."

"Talk when this is over and we have Phil back."

Barton nodded. "Yeah, we're going to have to," he said.


	79. Chapter 79

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang, you probably noticed all the new chapters on this one. There were too many packers and not enough packing to do, so I hid in my room all day today and wrote on this story, trying to get back in line with the episodes as they have aired. I might just make it.
> 
> I apologize for the lack of updates on other stories. Time and energy are still really low right now, and we start our 4,000 mile drive on Friday. I promise I'll do my best to update, but I don't know how RL is going to be for a while yet.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading. You guys rock.

Clint and Steve were the first things Coulson saw when he opened his eyes, daring to look around him. The hum from the machine was gone and May, standing with a large plug in her hands, was all the explanation Coulson needed. "Steve, you okay?" he managed.

"Never better," Steve said. He was dirty, bruised, and a little cut up, but he was physically sound. "They decided they wanted to beat me up, so they put me in a ring and threw guys at me one at a time, Sir. It's the reason your team only had two guards to go up against. The rest of them are all unconscious and tied up, just waiting for you."

"What were you thinking, Phil?" Barton asked, helping his husband sit up. "Bad enough you let them take you. What's all this with the machine?"

"Captain, give us a moment, please," Coulson said. "Mel, stay. Clint, I'm not an LMD."

"Yeah, I know," Barton said. "Or, at least parts of you are still human. Tony's still digging around in the files to see what he can find out for us. Fury ordered it, Sir, while I was out in the field. The LMD project wasn't working, they couldn't fix it enough to be human, so they tried something else. Something I've never seen or heard about before."

Coulson shivered and leaned against Barton's warm chest. "They had my skull open and some machine was reprogramming my brain," he said. "I couldn't tell much, but this machine, it erased whatever programming they did, including that woman that's been haunting me. You heard me, Clint. You heard what I was begging them."

"I did, and I'm so glad you didn't," Barton said. "Phil, you are the same man no matter what. Remember that much for me, please? You have a reason to fight, even if you can't always remember it."

"That's the other important thing. Centipede doesn't know about you, Clint. They don't know that I'm whatever the hell it is I am now," Coulson said. "I need answers, I know where to start, but get me out of here. May, this machine doesn't fall into SHIELD's hands. I don't care what you have to do, you make sure of it."

May nodded. "Understood."

Barton scooped Coulson up and headed out of the room. "Fury has a lot to answer for, Phil," he said softly. "Starting with lying to all of us, hiding what he did away, and why the hell he did it. Then we can move onto other things, like giving Hand your team. Talk about a mistake."

"I figured he'd do that, especially after Agent Hand and I had a disagreement over management of information throughout the various levels," Coulson said. "It seems like Fury is watching me more closely than ever before, Clint."

"Knowing what we know now, can you blame him?"

"Not really. Reina, she knew about my parents, about my past, my girlfriend," Coulson said. "She knew everything but what happened right after I died, and you, Clint. What does that mean?"

"Well, it means their boss isn't as all-seeing as he likes to pretend," Barton said. "Either that or you've really gotten good at thinking about me as a woman rather than a man, which frankly worries me a bit, boss."

"Never going to forget that part of you, Barton," Coulson said. "Go with me tonight to start getting answers from one of the doctors?"

"Try and stop me," Barton said.  
****

Coulson wore a wire so Barton would be able to hear everything in the car without letting anyone know he was there watching over Coulson. They didn't speak about anything that was said until Coulson was back in Lola and they were heading to their hotel for the night. "Dead for several days," Barton said. "I don't know if you were dead or almost dead, but I did see you in a stasis chamber while they were supposedly working on your LMD."

"So there might have still been a spark left in me, but it was too faint to do them any good until they started with the surgeries," Coulson said. "I want to know how they kept you from finding out what they were doing."

"There was a period of two weeks when the Avengers were out every day," Barton said. "It was like the country went mad, Phil. Aliens, bots, mad scientists; you name it and I probably battled it during that period of time. That would have just about worked for what Fury was doing. The man has power, he's insane, but he wouldn't risk innocent lives just to distract me from what was happening with you."

"Agreed. So they could have shown you combinations of my LMD and my body and you likely wouldn't have known the difference," Coulson said. "What I find curious is that you said my taste had changed, that it wasn't the same. What do you think that means?"

Barton shrugged. "It's possible that robot, whatever the hell it is, did something to your basic body chemistry that changed the way your mouth, skin, and semen taste," he said. 

"How do you say that so factually?"

"Turns you on, doesn't it?"

"That's classified," Coulson said. "I need more data, Clint. I know you'll help me, but what about Nat and Mel. Do you think they're willing to risk everything to help me out?"

"I think if we try to do this without them, and the Avengers, Sir, we're going to be in trouble," Barton said. "I can't speak for your team, but I know mine, and I know they're all ready to help you out."

"I'll talk to Mel in the morning and see what she's able to do," Coulson said. "We're going against Fury on this, Clint. We already know he's mad at us. Do we really want to risk this?"

"Phil, he did something so unspeakable to you that you asked to be allowed to die, and he ignored your wishes," Barton said, taking Coulson's hand. "Right now you have every right to want to know what happened to you, what was done, and what possible side effects there could be. I'm not happy he lied to me when I agreed to the LMD transfer. I think he's going to back down first."

Coulson glanced over. "I wouldn't go that far, Clint."

"Guess we'll just have to see, huh?"


	80. Chapter 80

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. I realized last night that the new season is about to start and I still haven't seen from TRACKS to the season finale. *sighs* So I'm planning to power through the episodes on my days off this week and finish this up as well. This chapter starts SEEDS and will go from there to the end. 
> 
> This story is my focus right now. I'll be back to the others as I can. Work is picking up as the "snow birds" come back to start our winter season here. I promise you that I am not abandoning any piece that I have as a WIP.

“Will you hold me tonight, Clint?” Coulson asked once they were in their hotel room. “Can we do guided dreaming, something so I don’t have to think about what all I just learned from the doctor? I don’t want to remember that I didn’t want to live.”

Barton pulled Coulson into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, Phil,” he said. “I didn’t know what Fury was going to do to you. What he had planned. If I had known, I might have snuck in and killed you myself to save you from that. I thought that you were being kept in stasis to be transferred over. I didn’t know what he was going to do to you.”

“I know. I know, Clint, and I don’t blame you,” Coulson said. He closed his eyes with a sigh. “Maybe I should have left everything alone. The only thing I’ve managed to do here is cause us both more pain.”

“Could you have lived with not knowing, Phil? With the threat of that woman hovering over you every second of every night? Not knowing what would trigger you to attack one of your team, or one of your friends?” Barton asked. “Could you have lived with yourself if you’d let this all go and believed what Fury was telling us?”

“No. No I couldn’t have,” Coulson said with a small sigh. “You’re right, Clint, I need to know. I’ll go through that thumb drive Fury gave me tomorrow and see what all is actually on there. Maybe he’s even got more that I can use. I don’t know. I don’t know about anything anymore, other than that I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Phil,” Barton said, pulling his husband in closer.  
*~*

Early the next morning, Coulson and Barton made their way back to the Bus to meet up with Coulson’s team. Neither of them was surprised to find May waiting for them at the base of the ramp. “Don’t even think about doing this alone,” she said.

“We’re going against Fury, Melinda,” Coulson said. “Against SHIELD and everything that we promised to protect when we took our badges. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I don’t know what he did, Phil, but he had no right to do that,” May said. “You signed the papers for the LMD project, we all have. Last night I checked, there are ten people currently in LMDs, or at least listed as being in LMDs. I want to know if they truly are, or if Fury used them as tests to be certain this thing, whatever the hell it is, works.”

“I didn’t know we had that many people in LMDs,” Coulson said. “Good morning, Captain.”

Steve stopped next to the group. “I don’t know what happened, what you all were talking about, but my team and I have never once backed down from a fight,” he said. “You tell us what you need, Agent Coulson, and we’ll find a way to help you get it. I talked with Tony. He’s going deeper into the files as carefully as he can. I’m going to make sure that you have an Avenger with you no matter what happens, one of us will be with you at all times. Probably Hawkeye here, but we might have to trade out.”

“Fury will never agree to it,” Coulson said.

“He’ll have to because now you’re a known kidnap risk for Centipede,” Rogers said with a small smile. “We’re going to be protecting you while we’re working to bring down the group that wants to rule the world.”

Coulson glanced at Barton. “Have you been teaching Captain America how to break the rules?” he asked.

“Nope, but he’s given me a few hints,” Barton replied with a grin. “Far as I know, I’m free after I report in on Agent Hand and her efforts with your team, Phil. Can I use the com in your office?”

“Yes you can,” Coulson said. “I’ll make my report at the same time. May, general call and get us up into the air. I’m sure that Fury is going to have another job for us here soon.”

“Why do you think that?” Steve asked as the group headed up into the Bus.

“Because every time I’ve figured something out about my situation, my condition, whatever the hell it was they did to me,” Coulson said, “Fury sends us out on assignment to try and take my attention off my health and put it back onto work. It’s not going to work this time. I want to know everything that happened to me. I know he’s not going to tell me, so I’m going to figure it out myself.”

Steve nodded. “The Avengers will be right beside you the whole way, Agent Coulson,” he said. “From the beginning, we’ve considered you one of us.”

Coulson went red and turned to hurry up the stairs to his office. Barton just shook his head with a fond smile. “Sorry, Cap, but he’s still pretty awe-struck about you,” he said. “Give him time to get used to the idea that his childhood idol really is here and likes him and he’ll get better.”

“It’s fine, I know he’s got a lot going on,” Steve said. “I’m going to get my own report ready for Fury. Do you think you guys can drop me off at a base?”

“Check with May and see what she has to say, but I’m willing to bet that you can, yes,” Barton said. He headed on up the stairs after his husband. “You are adorable with your crush, you know.”

“Oh, shut up, Clint,” Coulson said, not looking up.

“He thinks it’s cute too,” Barton said. He moved over and perched on Coulson’s desk. “You dial Fury yet?”

“Just did. I’m waiting for him to confirm the link-up.”

“Agent Barton. Agent Coulson,” Fury said, appearing on the monitor across the office. “Do you want to tell me what the hell you thought you were doing, Coulson, letting yourself be kidnapped like that?”

“I was getting a child to safety,” Coulson replied. “I’m also transmitting some information to you on Reina and Centipede, Director. They have a psychic or a clairvoyant working with them. That’s how they’re staying one step ahead of us like they are. They know our moves before we do.”

Fury sighed. “One more problem for us to work out,” he said. “We don’t have anyone on our list that claims psychic powers, so who the hell is this guy?”

“Unknown at this time,” Coulson said. “My team extracted me with no problem, thanks to Captain Rogers, and we’re back in the air, Sir.”

“What about Mike Peterson?” Fury asked.

“I believe he was lost when the bridge exploded. Agent May was in charge of the team at that point. You’ll have to ask her what happened to our other super soldier.”

“Agent May was acting on your orders from the beginning, and do not for one second act like she was not, Coulson,” Fury said. “You damn well gave her instructions for the team before you went and got your ass captured like an idiot and put yourself in far more danger than you ever should have been.”

“They wanted to know what happened to me after I died, Sir,” Coulson said. “They want to know so they can bring their people back to life. An army of the never dying. We know that now and we didn’t then.”

“We know that Coulson is a target, Sir,” Barton said, speaking for the first time. “We know that he’s in danger without someone assigned to keep him safe.”

“You are not joining his team, Agent Barton, so do not even think for one second that I am going to consider such an option.”

“Then I’ll join them, Sir,” Rogers said, appearing in the doorway. “Stark, Bruce, and Natasha are all willing to help out as well. One Avenger away from the team will not hurt our fighting abilities in the field, and will help to keep Agent Coulson safe and out of enemy hands.”

“The Avengers need to be ready to fight at any moment,” Fury said.

“We are,” Barton said, looking directly into Fury’s eye. “We are ready to fight the moment you give the word. We’re also good enough that if I’m here, or Stark is gone, that we can still fight and save the world because we know that the team is bigger than the people that make it up. We know that we all can fight because we trust each other, and trust in a team is more important than anything else, Director.”

Fury glared. “Are you lecturing me, Agent Barton?”

“No Sir,” Barton said.

“Don’t you no sir me in that tone, Agent,” Fury said. “Coulson, get your team to the SciTech academy. The pool froze with a cadet inside it. He’s lucky to be alive. The tech is based off two projects FitzSimmons was working on, and they’ve been requested specifically for this.”

“Yes, Sir,” Coulson said.

“Agent Barton, you can accompany your husband on this mission and then we’ll all sit down and talk about what you and Captain Rogers are suggesting,” Fury said. “You are not to get your hopes up.”

“I never do, Sir,” Barton said. “You’ll have my report on Agent Hand and her handling of Coulson’s team and his rescue in an hour, Director.”

“Good.”

Coulson waited until the monitor was black before he risked saying anything else. “That was risky, Clint.”

“It’s the truth, Phil,” Barton said. “You’re also not going to SciTech.”

“No, I’m not. Ward can handle this one with Skye and the others,” Coulson said. “You, May and I are going to track down some other information. Captain, we’ll drop you off on the way.”

“I’ll keep working on Fury,” Steve said. “I know how to handle difficult commanders.”

“Be careful with him. He knows when he’s being played,” Coulson said.

“So do I,” Steve said with a small grin.


	81. Chapter 81

Barton moved over to the sofa (or whatever the hell that monstrosity with seatbelts was supposed to be) to work on his report for Fury while Coulson opened up the information the thumb drive and started to print things out. “What did Agent Hand say when she found you on the Bus, Clint?”

“She wasn’t too happy about it. She never is when she sees me because she knows I don’t give a damn what she thinks or does, I’m going to do my own thing,” Barton said. “Hand was too much of a wimp to give the order to use psychological torture on the man we had in custody. Yes, we had a lock on your tracker, but we still needed to know what that man knew. I’m the one that gave the order and Ward is the one that carried it out. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Agent Hand, Phil.”

“We probably haven’t, but I don’t think Fury is going to be stupid enough to try and put her in a command position over me,” Coulson said. He reached under his desk for a binder. “There’s a lot here, Clint. I’m seeing reports, pictures, other information. I think some of these are morgue pictures.”

“Hey, you’re here,” Barton said. He put his work down and went back to the desk. “You are right here, with me, alive. Fury all but tortured you, Phil. He made you want to be dead and ignored your pleas for some reason known only to him. The only reason he hasn’t found me in his vents with a poison dart is because I still have you.”

“No killing Fury,” Coulson said. He put his hand over Barton’s. “I can’t do this alone, Clint.”

“You don’t have to,” May said from behind them. “Ward and the others are on the ground. We’re heading to Mexico City, Phil. Look through your papers, but don’t let them consume you.”

Coulson looked over at his best friend. “What’s in Mexico City that you’re so anxious to find?” he asked.

“I’ve been digging into Skye’s background like you asked me to,” May said, sitting down on the sofa. “The agent that dropped her off at the orphanage, Avery, her partner vanished the next day. He’s been spotted in Mexico City, but he’ll be on the move, Phil. We do not have a large window of time to catch him.”

Barton grinned. “Then we’d better get there before he manages to go off grid again,” he said. “Been a while since I’ve gone stalking in a city. Can I bring my stun gun?”

“Barton, you don’t have a stun gun,” Coulson said, his tone more formal, but still fond. “You have never had a stun gun, and if I have anything to say about it, you never will have a stun gun.”

“How do you know Nat didn’t give me one for Christmas?” Barton asked.

“Because Natasha always gives you the same thing every year, and has since the two of you met,” Coulson said. 

“What’s that?” May asked.

“Vodka.”

“I shouldn’t have asked. Wheels down in forty. Study your file, Phil,” May said. “I know Fury didn’t want you to have it, and there’s a reason he didn’t. What you know here,” she touched his chest over his heart, “is more important than what you know here.” She touched his head.

“Is that your way of telling me that my confused memories aren’t to be trusted?” Coulson asked.

May nodded with a small smile. “You trust me and you trust the Hawk, right?”

“Always.”

“Then trust us to lead you in the right direction now, Phil. We still don’t have all the answers, but we’re our own team now,” May said. “We’re in the others’ hearts and that means more than anything SHIELD can do to us.”

Barton grinned. “You know Nat is going to want in on this,” he said.

“She can join us, because she understands too.”

Neither man had to ask what May meant. They both knew that Natasha also understood missing a piece of your soul.  
*~*

“Skye is asking questions,” May said as they were getting ready to leave the Bus. “I think she’s worried about you, Phil.”

“I can’t tell her,” Coulson said. “Not about this. All this, what was done, this is so far outside of the levels within SHIELD that I don’t even know what to classify it as.”

“You classify it as wrong, Coulson,” Barton said, wheeling his bike down the ramp. “That’s the only thing it possibly can be. I don’t know what the hell happened to you, what was done to you, but I’ll tell you this much. We let anyone else know, there’s a better chance our enemy works it out and comes after all of us.”

“Agreed,” May said. “We have to be careful, Phil.”

“Skye is going to keep poking at this,” Coulson said with a sigh. “Especially now that her bracelet is off. She has full access to tech again.”

Barton snorted. “We know nothing about what happened with you is on the computer, Phil,” he said. “All right, I’m hitting the road. I’ve got my com in. Call when you have a lead and I’ll come find you.”

“Be careful,” Coulson said. “We don’t know who all is down here right now.”

“I’ll be fine.” Barton kissed Coulson softly and headed out in a roar.

“How did he get his bike on the Bus in the first place?” Coulson asked, moving to start Lola. “I would be willing to swear that it wasn’t there last time I looked in the hanger.”

May almost smiled. “I think he’s taking lessons from you, Phil,” she said. “Now then, let’s see what we can find out.”  
*~*

“Am I really different?” Coulson asked suddenly, while he and May were watching a shop to see if their missing agent made a stop there or not. “What else did they change in me?”

“You’re more relaxed, not as focused on the rules, easier to talk with,” May said. “Everything that makes you who you are is still the same, Phil.”

“Who can say that for a fact though?”

“Me. Hawk. Widow.” May said, turning to look at him. “Your two best friends and your husband, Phil. You heard what Barton said. The only thing about you that’s changed is your taste. That’s it. We all know you better than anyone, and we’re the ones telling you that you still are who you’re supposed to be.” She took his hand. “Trust us, Phil.”

Coulson nodded and swallowed hard. “Thank you,” he said. “I’ve got the mark.”

“Let’s see what we can turn up,” May said. “I’ll call Barton.”

“I’ve got the alley,” Coulson said, starting Lola.  
*~*

The trio remained quiet until Lumley was off the plane, heading back into a hidden world where he could run and try to stay safe with the secret he knew. “How can Skye be an 084?” Barton asked. “She seems normal.”

“Yes she does, which makes me want to know what happened in China,” Coulson said. “Skye has never once shown any sort of special powers to any of us. She’s been in danger, we’ve been in danger; nothing. That’s not to say that she doesn’t have powers, but if she does, they’re buried deeply within her and nothing simple is going to bring them back.”

“We can’t tell her,” May said. “This has to remain secret between us.”

“She deserves to know the truth,” Coulson said.

“Does she deserve to know how many people have died for her sake?” May asked. “You heard what Lumley said, Phil. Death follows her. I know that no one has died recently, but that’s because she’s remained hidden. What happens if this knowledge gets out? That she’s the 084 people have been looking for for who knows how many years?”

“Mel has a point, Phil. What if we agree to not tell Skye anything until we have more information for her?” Barton asked. “That way we’re not keeping her in the dark, but at the same time, we’re keeping people safe, and not dishonoring the memory of the people that died to protect her as a child.”

Coulson nodded with a sigh. “I’ll agree to that for now,” he said. “I’m tired of secrets, guys. Where are we going?”

“SciTech. Turns out Ward can’t handle it,” May said. “Something is going on there, Phil, and he wants our input.”

“All right, although this still feels like maneuvering to get my attention off of something,” Coulson said. “Clint….”

“I’m glued to your side until Fury tells me to go, and maybe even then,” Barton said. “He needs my skill set, Phil. I’m not going to let him drive me off too easily.”

“Thank you,” Coulson said.


	82. Chapter 82

Coulson and Barton were back up in the office on the Bus working on separate projects when the monitor came to life. "Stark to the incredibly overdone, pricey, and flashy bus-thing."

"You're one to talk about all that, Stark," Barton said, not looking up from his paperwork.

"Barton has a point," Coulson agreed. "It's not a bus-thing, Stark; it's called the Bus. What do you need?"

"I've been in the files looking at things without Fury knowing I'm there," Tony said. "How many levels of classification are there in SHIELD?"

"Eight that I know about," Barton said, glancing over at his lover. "Phil?"

"Ten," Coulson said. "The top two tiers are hidden in more paperwork than anyone could ever want to read, and only about ten agents within SHIELD are actually ranked that high."

Tony sighed. "Are you one of them, Agent?"

"I am, or I was," Coulson said. "Since I came back from Tahiti, it seems that I'm not allowed to see things at the access levels I previous worked with. What did you find, Tony?"

"Files locked at a level 12," Tony said. "There's no hacking these files. JARVIS says that they're all encrypted with a flux algorithm of a type that he's never seen before, and JARVIS is a computer. He's probably the single most advanced computer AI on the planet and he can't do a damn thing with these little bastards."

Coulson and Barton looked at each other. "That's interesting, Phil," Barton finally said. "What do you suppose Fury and the WSC have hidden away under that much security?"

"I have no idea," Coulson said. "SHIELD is all about secrets, but Fury and Hill see everything. I thought I did too, but I'm starting to question a lot of things from over the past few years. The tenth level in SHIELD, Tony, is for the commanding agents only. We're ranked that high because we see secrets that could cause the end of the world, make decisions that, well, that remake people."

"Tell them that they're an LMD when they're not?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," Coulson replied softly.

"Tell him, Stark," Barton said.

"Agent, when you first turned up on video, you made a bend backwards that no human not on gymnastic mats should have been able to do," Tony said. "That got me thinking, and you know me thinking is never a good thing. Me thinking leads to questions and explosions, and new suits that have weapons that will take out alien monsters in them. That's not a bad thing, now, but it was awkward for a while there. Anyway, my point here is that you were different than the last time I saw you. You were this master bendy man and that didn't seem right. I didn't know, not until Birdy told me, that you're ranked even with him and Widow for fighting skills, but it still got me thinking. I did the design and the code for the LMDs and I knew the limitations involved. SHIELD R and D wouldn't be able to overcome any of that shit to make the thing lifelike enough to fool you. I knew you weren't one, even when you thought you were. It was too impossible, but you still weren't right. Something had changed in you, but I didn't know how to bring it up."

"People have told me that I'm different," Coulson said, glancing over at Barton. "Clint and Melinda have reminded me that I am still me no matter what happened to me."

"You know what happened to you, don't you?"

"I do, but there are other forces in play at the moment, so I've got the experience locked in my mind and I cannot talk about it right now," Coulson said. "Not until I'm positive that our enemy has been defeated for good."

Tony nodded. "Good enough, but I want you to run some additional health tests on yourself when you have a chance, or can come to the Tower and let me run them for you," he said. "See, I don't think your taste is the only thing that they changed in you, Agent. I think that they gave you a few other enhancements when they did whatever the hell it was they did to you, and you don't know everything they've done."

"Could it account for extra iron in my blood?"

"It could, yes, but that could also be from too many transfusions during surgery," Tony said. "I'll send along a list of the tests I want run to find out if I'm right or not. If I am, Phil, then you need to be careful that you do not fall into enemy hands again."

The use of his first name caught his attention better than anything else Tony had said. "Why is that, Tony?" Coulson asked softly.

"Centipede is still working to perfect their super soldiers, or whatever the hell it is they're calling them right?" Tony asked in reply. "They want more Captain Americas running around, but they don't care about the lack of morals in the people they're transforming. These people are stabilized, they won't suddenly catch fire or explode when they get too angry. They have all sorts of enhancements, but there are still a couple they're missing to make them perfect. They can't regenerate mid-battle like our Cap can, and they can still be killed. I think you can't, Phil. I think that whatever the hell it is Fury had done to you, I think you're immortal in a different way."

Barton looked over. "How could that even be possible?" he asked.

"It's possible, but it would take alterations to his body chemistry," Tony replied. "I know we have some sort of psychic involved in all of this, and he's probably listening in on this conversation, so I'm not telling you about those alterations. I don't know what happened to you at SHIELD, Agent, I don't want to know. You do these tests and let me see the results. Those will tell me if I'm right or not, and neither of us has put new information out there for the idiot running Centipede to pick up on. At least not yet."

"You want to set up a trap," Barton said.

"You read my mind, Birdy," Tony said with a grin.

"That's impossible at this time, Stark," Coulson said.

"Yeah, at this time. But at a later time, when we have more information, when I've managed to finish up the projects I'm working on now, I think it will be very possible," Tony said. "I think, given time and a bit of hard work, we'll know more dirty secrets than SHIELD wants us to know."

Coulson sighed. "Be careful with that, Tony. You don't know what protections are in place there, and they could hurt JARVIS, or be turned back around on you," he said. "I appreciate your help, but do not do anything at the cost of your best friend."

"I won't," Tony said. "Agent May. You're almost as scary as Widow when sneaking up on people. Agent, how do you and Birdy sleep at night?"

"Usually curled up together," Barton said with a grin.

"Ack, too much. Bad mental image," Tony said. "JARVIS, release the alcohol. I need to erase that mental image."

May waited until the screen was dark again. "We've landed," she said. "Stark?"

"He says there's a level 12, Mel," Coulson said. "You know what that means."

She nodded. "Fury has more secrets than we thought he did."


	83. Chapter 83

"Make a note," Coulson said quietly to Barton, "we keep an eye on him."

"Done."

"This is a situation that should never have happened, Clint," Coulson said. "I'm not sure how someone got to two of our agents in training, but it shouldn't have been possible. I want to know how it happened."

Barton looked over. "It's something that FitzSimmons should be able to work out," he said. "Working right now is the best thing for them. I know they both want to go and hide, that they saw themselves in both of those young men, but they need to realize that they aren't them."

"Will you talk to them for me?" Coulson asked. "We'll be here for another day or so helping with clean-up. I'll get in touch with a few of my friends in higher places and make sure that something like this cannot happen again. It'll mean a few tighter controls in place at the academies, but I think it'll be worth it in the end."

"All right," Barton said. "Tell Mel the truth when she asks, Phil."

"How did you know?"

"How do you think?"

"You were in the vents again, weren't you?"

Barton just grinned and headed down the stairs towards the bay. "Hey guys, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

"No offense, Agent Barton, but I really...."

"Fitz, shush," Simmons said. "Of course you can, Agent Barton. Come into the lab, please."

"I won't take long, guys," he said, following the pair into their lab. Their home. "Let me tell you a short story first. When I was first brought to SHIELD, they tested me and figured out quick that there was no way I would pass through any of the academies. They could send me to whichever one they wanted, except for SciTech, only because I didn't even have a high school diploma at that point in my life, and I would flunk out of all of them. There's a small academy that no one knows about, for those of us that won't fit in anywhere else. Those of us with a specific and special skill set that SHIELD wants. That's where they sent me, and while I was there, I met this young man that was a knife fighter. He was beyond expert with his blades, and I could tell that he didn't even want to be where he was. He didn't fit in. There was another man there, bit older, that had been in the military and left just ahead of a discharge for something we never found out about. He befriended this young kid, got him working on a project. Something no one else knew about."

Simmons handed Fitz a water bottle and pushed him down gently on a stool. "What happened?" she asked.

"Turned out the military guy was there on someone else's orders, had fooled SHIELD into taking him," Barton replied. "One night he took the kid and left. They killed four guards and a teacher on their way out, but they never made it through the last fence."

"Was it electric?"

"Nope, but there was a guy with good eyes watching their every move," Barton said with a small sigh. "This kid, he'd had something turned inside him before he came to us, and the self-imposed isolation only made it worse. He and the military man were on their way out to become serial killers for hire. Think about that one for a second and you realize how impossible it starts to sound. Serial killers for hire. That's something that you never see, and they planned to do it. Torture and kill for money, but only a certain type. They planned to go after women their backers wanted eliminated for some reason or another. It's not sane, and they probably would have found backers if they'd made it out. Coulson believes the military guy already had someone lined up, that was the reason he was where he was; to get this kid with the knives. I killed the older guy and made damn sure the kid couldn't run, walk, or crawl, and called Coulson."

"How did you already know him?" Simmons asked.

"He'd brought me in," Barton said. "That was the end of my time at the academy. Fury's office assigned me to Coulson and that's how I was trained. One mission at a time, honing my instincts and skills. The point of this all is the kid that was good with the knives, he worked back to full health, I didn't shoot him anywhere that would cause lasting injury, and came after me. He saw me as the reason everything went bad for him." Barton lifted up his top, showing two long scars across his stomach. "I broke his neck before he got in a deeper cut, but he left me these. I also made damn sure that no one else that went to that special academy ever had a reason to look outside of SHIELD for money, help, or worth. Now I need your help to do the same thing here, guys. Ian Quinn, he took a loner that was desperate for attention, for someone to talk to, and he found exactly what he needed. Another young man, not quite as smart, but desperate for money. He used both of these boys to try and get something that he wanted, and we have to make sure that this cannot happen again. You know this academy better than anyone on the Bus, guys. I know that, right now, you feel pain. You feel exactly what they felt, are still feeling, but you both have come so far since you left the lab. You are full agents now, and I know that you both want to help protect others."

Fitz sighed. "You don't have to humor us, Agent Barton," he said.

"I'm not. I'm saying what I know to be true, and what I believe. None of that is humoring you in any way, Fitz," Barton said. "You talked with these guys. You tried to be a friend, but it was too little too late, and that burns worse than failure. Because you put your heart out there and it was stomped on. You want to hide away in the lab again, and that can't happen. If we let you hide away now, we are never going to get you back, and that would hurt a lot of people. You both are members of this team, important members, and more than that; you're family. I know it might not seem like it, but we all care deeply for you. Can you help me make sure that no one else that comes to this academy is hurt or killed trying to find their family?

Simmons put a hand on Fitz's shoulder. "Yes," she said.


	84. Chapter 84

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have three days off from work and plan to spend them working on this project instead of an original novel. Chapter 84 is the first of several new chapters. I'll make a note at the top of which chapter it is in order, so it'll look like this...
> 
> New Chapter 1 of ?
> 
>  
> 
> When I finish for the day, I'll close out that number. I'm thinking that I'll manage four episodes a day, and that's roughly sixteen chapters worth of story depending on how much the episode inspires me.

Director Fury’s arrival the next day caused a stir in the academy, but no where near the stir created when Iron Man landed in the middle of the academy ground. Barton, who had a heads-up that his fellow Avenger was on his way to meet with the team from the Bus, was waiting for him. “Always making an entrance, Stark,” he said, handing over the cup of coffee he’d been holding.

“I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t,” Tony said with a grin. “Is our one-eyed pirate boss here yet or did I manage to beat him this time?”

“He’s been here for a few hours, meeting with the directors of this academy,” Barton said. “Come on, we’re borrowing one of their conference rooms for this. Tony, you’re a huge presence in the tech world, have you met Ian Quinn?”

“Yeah, couple of times. He’s an arrogant prick that wants what he can’t have,” Ton said. “He tried to get me to make him a couple of things for his plane, but he wouldn’t tell me what he planned to do with them once they were on there, so I declined and black-listed his name hard. I don’t think he’s had much help from anyone in the States for a while now.”

Barton nodded. “Which would explain why he’s looking abroad for tech,” he said. “I don’t like that he’s turned up twice with what could be considered doomsday devices that have been built by people with links to SHIELD.” He rapped twice on the door and opened it. “Tony’s here.”

Fury glared from his seat at the head of the table. “Mr. Stark.”

“Fury,” Tony said. “I’m busy working on a new project and the only reason I’m here is because Coulson asked nicely. What’s going on?”

“We believe that Ian Quinn is working for our newest enemy,” Coulson said. “At this time, we do not know the details, but Ian Quinn attempted to make contact with the young man that died during the failed field test for the weather machine and I answered the phone. He wasn’t surprised to hear my voice in place of the others, and told me that the Clairvoyant said to tell me hello.”

“We’ll find him, Phil, and I’ll put a couple of blades through that second sight of his,” Barton said, rubbing his lover’s shoulders. “Then we can question him.”

“If you have some sort of pan dimensional weapons, Barton, I do not want to know about it,” Fury said. “I’m here to talk less about the problems you are tracking and more about the demands that Steve Rogers has made on your behalf.”

“Cap believes that Agent here needs protection no matter what, and his team isn’t good enough to give him that because, hey, he’s the leader and they all have to listen to him,” Tony said. “Which means that he can go off and try to get himself killed in lots of interesting ways and they have no way to stop him. We do. You have to look at the team you created by lying to us, Nick, and realize that we have done exactly what you wanted us to do. We’re a team. We can fight with each other or without each other, and we’re going to do it because we all face a common goal now. We want the world to be at peace. Part of that is protecting Agent here. He gets an Avenger bodyguard and you really have no say in the matter.”

If Coulson wasn’t so upset about all the secrets and lies, the torture, and what Fury did without anyone’s permission, he might have enjoyed the look that flittered over what they could see of Fury’s face. But he was and he didn’t. “Director Fury, we believe that I am the direct target for Centipede at this time,” he said. “If you want to keep me in the field in the position you wanted me in, then you’re going to have to allow me a bodyguard and additional team member until this investigation is over. I would like for it to be Agent Barton, but understand why it can’t be. I am willing to rotate through the Avengers depending on which skill set would be most beneficial to the team at that time.”

“Suppose I pull your ass and stick you on a base buried deep enough that no one knows where you are?” Fury asked.

“Then you would be well within your rights as Director, but you would lose the your king and queen from the chess game, because Barton would come right along with me,” Coulson said.

“Not one word, Stark,” Barton growled.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Tony said. No one believed that for a second, however. “Nick, bottom line. We’re here. We’ve made a decision as a team that will not impact our work protecting the planet. Capsicle has done up a rota for us to be with this team in such a way that nothing is disturbed. You wanted a team of super heroes to protect the planet, Nick. You got exactly what you wanted, and now you’re realizing that hey, they’re still people underneath all the powers and problems. The thing about people is that they have free will, and that’s something you will never be able to take away from any of us.”

“I didn’t ask for their help, Director,” Coulson said. “They volunteered. Given the complexity of our current assignment, I believe that Iron Man would be the best one to have with me until this mission is over.”

“What mission?” Fury asked. “No orders came from my office.”

“You gave me the right to pick our missions, and I have,” Coulson said. “We’re going after Ian Quinn. I want to know what he knows, find out what he’s doing. Two machines that could have ended the world and both ended up built and maintained by members of SHIELD. I don’t like that this is happening, and I want to know why it is.”

“Suppose you don’t like the answers you get?” Fury asked.

“Then I’ll just have to keep asking until I do,” Coulson replied.  
*~*

Fury spent another two hours verbally sparring with Coulson and Stark, but had to give up in the end when the two men held firm. He watched the pair walk out and looked at Barton. “Not going along to see your husband off?” he asked.

“I promised FitzSimmons I would help here to make sure that this academy is secure from outside threats,” Barton said. “Phil knows I’ll call him when I have the time, and he isn’t in the middle of working out a puzzle. I also know that Stark will keep him safe for me.”

“Do you buy all this crap, Barton?” Fury asked.

“I believe that you’re still hiding something important from us, Director,” Barton replied. “I think it’s something so dark and deep that you’ve had it buried and are scared to let it see the light. To know that there are people that could help you figure out what’s wrong and fix it for good. That you’ve been living the lies for so long that you truly don’t know how to ask for help, and that’s not a good position for the director of one of the largest agencies in the world to be in.”

“What if I tell you that you’re wrong?”

“I don’t believe it for a minute,” Barton said. “You can keep your secrets, Director, but if one of my family ends up hurt or dead because of it, there won’t be a bolt hole in the world that will keep you safe from me.”

“Is that a threat, Agent Barton?” Fury asked, glaring at him.

“No, Sir; it’s a warning.”  
*~*

Coulson took Stark to the Bus and led him into the lab. “I know that you’ve met before, toured his Tower and talked with him about science, so can I trust that you’re not going to fall over yourselves working with Stark?” he asked, pinning FitzSimmons with a look.

“Of course you can,” Simmons said. “Mr. Stark, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Welcome to our humble lab. What can we do for you today?”

“Stark is here to help us with our next mission,” Coulson said. “It involves Ian Quinn and tech, and I can’t think of anyone in the world that would be better to have around for this.” He ignored the squeak behind him. “Get to work and track down Quinn and anything he’s been doing with tech in the past four years. I want to know if he bought a new cell phone. Skye, get in here and help them. SHIELD agents do not have time to do their make-up before they go on operations.”

“They do if they have time,” May said, walking past.

“Only if they’re going undercover for some reason. Which we all will be doing,” Coulson said. “Except Stark. Trying to make him into someone else is worthless. Stark, you’re going to be our distraction.”


	85. Chapter 85

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 2 of ?

“Do you want to talk about it?” May asked. She was in the pilot seat with Coulson next to her, the Bus heading towards Italy.

“About what?”

“Whatever it is that has you looking so sad.”

Coulson glanced over. “Do you really think I look sad, Mel?” he asked. “I mean that seriously. Do you think that my looks have changed?”

“You look younger than you did pre-Loki, but part of that could be a bit of cosmetic surgery they did while you were unconscious after you were patched up in medical,” May said. “Other than that, you’ve got a certain look in your eyes. Something was taken away from you, Phil, and I think you know what that was.”

“Is your white noise filter engaged?” Coulson asked.

“These days, always, when you’re up here with me. You know we don’t know who we can trust, Phil, and that includes the members of our team,” May replied. “The Avengers, to a point, but otherwise it’s a four-person team.”

Coulson nodded. “He took away my free will, and my right to choose,” he said. “Stark told me that he thinks I’m immortal anyway, that something happened to me when that machine was working that’s made it so I can’t die. I’m not going to test it, I don’t want to risk my life, but at the same time, I kinda want to know.”

“You will, if you don’t age, then he’s right,” May said. “If you do, then he’s wrong. Why is he with us?”

“We need a distraction and, as good as FitzSimmons and Skye are with tech, I need to know that I have someone better,” Coulson said. “Stark knows Ian Quinn in ways that we don’t. He’ll know things that can help us out when we get stuck, if we get stuck. I have a plan for us going onto this train, but there are so many things that can go wrong. So many tiny details that I can’t see right now.”

“That’s never stopped you before,” May said. 

“I had Barton and Romanov for those ops. Two agents that I knew could think on their feet, fight, make decisions if I wasn’t there to cover them,” Coulson said. “Two people that I trusted to come back to me alive every time because I knew that they could take care of themselves. As much as we’ve been trying to work with the team here, on the Bus, look at what we have. Skye still can’t post a mile running and isn’t accurate with a gun. Fitz is improving, he’s had his moment, but he’s still weak as a fighter. He hasn’t learned to take hits yet. Simmons, she’s in the lab creating the most elaborate backstory for her role in this that I think I’ve ever seen because she can’t improvise a lie.”

“You have me and you have Ward,” May pointed out. “We’re both fighters.”

“Yes you are, but he’s compromised, Mel. His focus is on you when it should be on the fight, and I don’t know that he knows he’s doing it. You’re like me, you put the mission first and personal relationships second,” Coulson said. “You are able to do the same thing that Clint and Nat can do because we all have seen what can happen in the field. We know that we can make that hard choice, make that call. I don’t think Ward can do it.”

She nodded with a sigh. “I’m not even sure what happened, Phil. I think we both realized that we were the only other one on the Bus that could understand us,” May said. “I didn’t mean for it to develop like this.”

“I know,” Coulson said. “I’m worried about what could happen to you if you have to make that call, but I know you can do it. Ward can’t, and I know that.”

“What about Stark?”

“Stark.” Coulson sighed. “He’ll be on the train talking and seeing everything. The biggest possible distraction you could want, and we have it walking on two legs. He’ll be the biggest help on this mission, even if we don’t know everything about the tech that Ian Quinn is buying this time around.”

“What about our enemy?”

“I’m certain we’re going into this with our plans already compromised, but the Clairvoyant seems to have trouble seeing into my mind, and also seeing the Avengers,” Coulson said. “We’re going to use that to our advantage. When we land, we all have to get into character, Mel. That means you too.”

“I hate undercover,” May said.  
*~*

No one noticed the SHIELD agents as they boarded the train, mainly because Tony Stark walked on first and captured everyone’s attention. Coulson just sighed and went to find his seats with Simmons. Stark was helping out in the only way he could at that point, even if he had JARVIS scanning everything around them, and Coulson needed people that could help in unusual ways. It was the only way they would be able to do anything.

“Dad, I think I saw Tony Stark,” Simmons said while Coulson was putting their luggage up on the rack.

“You did,” Coulson replied. “You can go get his autograph if you want to.”

“No, that’s okay,” Simmons said. She lowered her voice. “Do you want to hear the story I created for us?”

“It’ll look more natural if I’m surprised by it,” Coulson said. “Are you ready, Jemma?”

“As much as I can be,” she said.

The pair fell silent as Ward and May walked past them, heading for first class. May looked like the perfect rich woman, hair styled and fur coat only highlighting her face. Coulson was the only one that could tell that May was disgusted by the act and was hiding that fact behind her usual mask of silence. Having Tony walk through the car wasn’t really part of the plan, but it stirred everyone up for a few minutes, taking attention off of May. Coulson had to give Stark credit for that move. He was doing a wonderful job of taking attention off of the team. He only wished he could think that it would last.

When the coms jammed, Coulson knew the team had been made. He headed forward to see if he could find May, or Ward, to find out what happened. The attack and having to jump off the train wasn’t exactly something he expected. Neither was having Iron Man land next to him. “Stark?”

“I’ve got a trace on the train. I don’t know how they managed to delay time like that, but it didn’t vanish,” Tony said, helping Coulson up. “You didn’t have to jump like that, Agent.”

“We didn’t know what sort of weapon they were holding,” Coulson said. “Follow the train for us, Tony, and find out where they’re going. Ward and I are going back to the Bus.”

“Incoming,” Ward said.

“Move out.”

Coulson led the way into the orchard and he recognized May’s work when they found the hijacked truck in the middle of nowhere. She was out there with them, and he knew that she would make her way back to the Bus as well. The only problem he had at that point was that he had tech and no idea how to work the equipment in the lab. His science team was on the train, and the Consultant was following them. He and Ward would just have to do their best.  
*~*

“You want to tell me what happened?” Coulson asked while he was helping to patch May up.

“They knew we were there, Phil,” May replied. “I used my sheet to get off the train, found the two of you paralyzed in the dirt and realized you would need help. The bad guys caught me just after I jumped the truck and took me to a barn where they thought it would be a good idea to torture me. Russo stabbed me in the shoulder, probably thinking that it would make me start talking.”

“You killed them all, didn’t you?” Coulson asked with a small, fond smile. “Tying you up is just like tying up Natasha. I don’t know why more of the bad guys don’t realize how stupid it is to even attempt to hurt you guys.”

“Russo got away from me and came to the Bus. He was going to shoot you both. He was working for CyberTech, Phil. He admitted it,” May said. She hissed when Coulson started to apply the bonding salve. “I owed him.”

“While I would have liked to have a chance to question him, find out more about what he knew, you did the right thing,” Coulson said. “I thought I recognized your work when I saw the wounds on his face, but I wasn’t positive.”

May put her fingers over the bandage while Coulson pulled her tank top straps back into place to hold the cotton over the healing wound. “I wouldn’t have minded some time alone with him, to teach him what true torture is, but we have to find the children,” May said.

“Stark called in,” Ward said. “The train is stopped and the package gone. Fitz and Skye followed it, Simmons is missing.”

“The children are growing up,” Coulson commented. “May, get us on the ground. Ward, tell Stark to follow Fitz and Skye. I want to know where they’re going.”


	86. Chapter 86

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 3 of ?

Stark did a couple of passes over the house where he tracked Fitz and Skye. “What do you see, J?”

“There are a total of twenty people in and around the house,” JARVIS replied. “One of them is in some sort of stasis or pod structure. I am unable to tell which, if any, of the signatures are members of Coulson’s team.”

“What about tech?”

“There are tech signatures throughout the house, however, the greatest concentration is around that stasis pod,” JARVIS said. “What is our next move, Sir?”

“Land and see how many of these baddies we can take out,” Tony said with a grin.

JARVIS sighed. Tony hadn’t programmed that feature in, somehow the AI learned all on his own. Then again, Tony had to admit that he probably did give the AI reason to sigh more than anything else. “I do believe that Agent Coulson wished to have people alive to question them, Sir.”

“Which is doable,” Tony said. He went into a dive and entered the house through one of the windows, landing on a table that crumbled under the weight of the suit. “Why is there never anyone around to see dramatic entrances anyway?” he asked, looking around. “Oh, there they are. Totally late and didn’t get to see me looking awesome.”

“Sir.”

“You love me and you know it, J,” Tony said. He flipped on the exterior mike. “So, I think I made a wrong turn somewhere. I’m looking for a burger place. Don’t suppose you could give me directions could you?”

The suit stopped all the bullets and a couple of blasts from something Tony had never seen before. “Get me a read on that gun,” he snapped, raising his hand up. “Sorry people, but I don’t have time to chat.” Tony used his repulsors to knock everyone out and moved to look at the gun a little closer. “What do you see, J?”

“It is a gun which knocks you out and removes your sense of time,” JARVIS reported. “I believe that Agents Fitz and Simmons created something similar for their team. It also does not seem to work on your armor, Sir.”

“Wouldn’t be much good in battle if something so basic could take me out in a fight,” Tony said, kicking at it. “Still, this explains why Agent was so confused about the train. We need to wring the details out of these little things and warn agents in the field about them.”

The sound of loud fighting came from outside, filtering in through the broken window. “Sounds like Agent is here,” Tony said. “He’s getting a better entrance than I did.”

“I am sure that he will give you ample opportunity to one up him on dramatic entrances,” JARVIS said as Tony started out into the hall to meet up with the team.

“Stark, where’s Skye?” Coulson asked, catching sight of the red and gold suit.

“No idea, I had to deal with a group of people when I came in,” Tony said. “JARVIS, what do you see?”

“Nothing because young Skye does not have a tracker implanted like the older agents do,” JARVIS said. “However there is a fading life sign down by that chamber.”

“Let’s go,” Coulson said. “Stark, stay here and make sure Quinn doesn’t escape.”

“Got it.”

“Stark?” Ian Quinn asked, trying to look around. “What are you doing here? No one told me that you were with the team.”

Tony grinned, not that anyone would be able to see it. “The problem with seeing the future is that, sometimes, what is seen isn’t what happens,” he said. “Be glad they found you first, Quinn. I still remember what you were trying to do back in the day, and I would have gladly killed you for that.”

“You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

“Yeah, never do, but I work it out in the end,” Tony said. “Here’s a thought. You shut up before I hurt you in ways that will not keep Agent Coulson from questioning you.”

“You don’t have it in you, Stark,” Quinn said. “You’re a tech junkie that hides out in labs where no one can touch you.”

Tony sighed. “If that’s the best you can do, then you need to read taunts and threats 101,” he said. “JARVIS, knock him out for me. This is getting dull.”

“With pleasure, Sir,” JARVIS said.  
*~*

“So they knew we would be on the train, why we were there, all the details right up until the point that we walked into the mansion, but not that Stark was with us,” Coulson said. He, May, and Tony were in the cockpit, flying as fast as the Bus could take them back to the states to get help for Skye. “Why don’t they see the Avengers?”

“Are you sure it’s not just Stark they can’t see?” May asked.

“Positive,” Coulson replied. “When they were putting me through the procedure to try and find out what happened to me after I died, they couldn’t see anything about Clint in my mind. Our new enemy had everything about me, including a cover relationship, but didn’t know anything about Clint. They didn’t know that Steve was coming along with me when I was kidnapped. They didn’t know that Tony was with us on this op. What does that mean?”

“I think that the big see-all know-all jerk calling the shots for whatever group this is now does know,” Tony said. “I think he knows and he’s not telling because he wants to see what his people do. If they can really think on their feet as well as they claim they can. If they can adapt to problems in the field, just like SHIELD likes to do to us all the time. The difference here is that these guys can’t because the Avengers aren’t normal agents. We don’t play by the same rules and we have all the cool toys that help keep us alive. If I hadn’t had my suit on today, yeah, I would have been dead before you guys arrived. The idiots didn’t know that bullets don’t hurt my suit. Neither does the sleepy-time gun they were using.”

Coulson nodded. “That’s good information for us to have, not so good for our opponent to have,” he said. “Your theory makes more sense than mine does, Tony. It bothers me that someone with enough power to see the future exists, but it bothers me even more that he’s set himself up for world domination. We’re not helpless, but we are working with a severe handicap here.”

“We have to find a way to blind him,” May said.

“That’s going to be harder than you think,” Coulson said, rubbing his face. “Right now, our focus has to be Skye, getting her back with us. She’s just a kid and still doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“This could be her moment,” May said.

“Or it could be the last thing she ever experiences,” Coulson said. “Dying in the darkness. I know that both of you know what that’s like. We’re not going to leave her. I’m the one that brought her in, she sees me as a mix of father and team leader, and she’s trying to be a person that impresses me. I haven’t told her enough that she does.”

“That’s a change.”

“Add it to the list,” Coulson said.

“Agent, what is the moment?” Stark asked.

“It’s the point in time where you realize that you will do everything in your power to stay alive, to fight back; to win,” Coulson said. “It’s the moment when you make the decision to kill another person so that you can live. So that you will survive. Yours was in the cave, Tony. You have never given up. You’ve stumbled, but you learned from your mistakes and you have never once given up on anything. May and I have both had that moment as well, all senior agents in SHIELD have, but Skye hadn’t and, honestly, I’ve been trying to protect her from it.”

May sighed and glanced over at him. Coulson nodded. “I know, it’s foolish.”

“If you two can do the same super scary non-verbal communication crap that Legolas and Widow can, I am totally leaving,” Tony said. “That is just wrong in so many ways.”

“Shut it, Stark,” May said.

“Tony, I need you back in your lab working on a way for us to get at least one step closer to being even with our enemy,” Coulson said. “Keep doing what you’ve been doing and get us answers. We’re going to get Skye taken care of. Let Steve and Clint know where we are. I’m quite certain that Melinda can protect me until they get a new guard down to me. Thanks for your help today.”

“Not sure how much help I was, but I’ll see what I can do. Take care of yourself, Agent. We can’t exactly buy bland bad asses on the open market.”

Coulson glanced at May and said something he hadn’t had to tell her in years. “Not one word.”


	87. Chapter 87

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 4 of ?
> 
> Okay, so I hadn't seen past SEEDS, and was being tongue-in-cheek about the levels at SHIELD because of a conversation with one of my old co-workers back up home. I almost spit water on my computer when I saw the binder marked Level 10 in this episode. (I'm on TAHITI) Now I really do have to wonder how many levels there are in SHIELD.

“Ward was out of line,” Coulson said, catching up with May later in the evening.

“We both know that, but does he?” May asked. “Have you notified medical that we’re coming in hot? I hate the change in course, but Skye won’t last if we try to take her back to America. We have to go there, Phil.”

“I know and they’re going to be waiting for us,” Coulson replied. “I don’t, Mel, how do I trust them again?”

She moved over and curled up next to him, much like Natasha did when she wanted to be certain he was okay. The women could well have been twins, and there were times when Coulson wondered which one of them was the larger influence on the other. “You trust them because Skye trusts you,” she said. “She trusts you to keep her safe, Phil, to do what’s right. What you have to ask yourself now is, what if they want to do to her what they did to you? Then what will you do?”

“I don’t know,” Coulson admitted. “Skye went into that house because she thought it was what I would have wanted her to do. She thinks she’s an agent, that she’s able to fight, and she’s not. She’s not ready for any of this, Mel. Skye isn’t even a baby agent at this point, and she has it in her head that she’s on the same level that you and I are because she’s been watching us. Modeling her behaviors off of our own. Ward is her SO, but he’s missing so much with her. I’ve been thinking that it’s probably time for me to step in again and get her training back on track.”

“Have you talked with Ward about it?”

“You know I haven’t.”

“You two look cozy, any room for an archer in there?”

“Barton, how the hell did you manage to hack this monitor?” Coulson asked, trying to be firm and failing. Barton usually did that to him.

“There’s some major benefits to having JARVIS as one of your best friends,” Barton said with a grin. “What’s going on, Phil? Tony told me that Skye took fire.”

“Two rounds to the stomach and is still dying,” Coulson said. “We’re on our way to SHIELD medical to get her help. It’s up to her now.”

Barton nodded slowly. “You’re worrying about walking into medical after spending so much time there, going through the surgeries to keep you alive,” he said. “You can do it, Phil, because you have to. I know you, you’ll slip into your big, bad, agent mode and no one will be able to tell you anything and not take a reaming for it in the end because you want only the best for Skye, and you’re going to be damn sure she gets it.”

“We’re not coming back to the states, Clint, so one of you needs to meet us at touchdown in Switzerland,” May said. “Skye doesn’t have as much time left as our original estimate gave her.”

“What are you going to do if they can’t help her, Phil?” Barton asked.

“I don’t know,” Coulson replied with a sigh. “What was done to me, well, you both know how badly it messed me up, but what if it can save her? What if it can bring that spark back to her?”

Barton leaned back and motioned for someone to join him. “I think you need to be listening to this part after all,” he said. “Phil’s thinking about using the same shit that was done to him on Skye.”

“Could work,” Tony said, appearing in the view. “Could kill her faster. There’s no way to know how long Fury worked to get that project set up, how much prep time is needed to do what they did. There’s also no way to know exactly what was done to you, Agent. You are walking right into a Catch-22, and you’re letting your guilt lead you. I know you are, because I’ve done exactly the same damn thing. Let me tell you what I learned the hard way; people don’t appreciate having their choices taken away from them.”

“I know that, Stark,” Coulson snapped, leaning forward. “I know that better than anyone because I had every one of my choices removed. My pleas were ignored because of someone else’s will. That bitterness and distrust will never drain out of me because I still have nightmares from it. I know exactly what submitting Skye to those same procedures will do. I know that I’m risking the attention of the enemy. I know all of that, but there is a young girl dying because she looks up to me. She wanted to help me out and make me proud, and all it got her was pain and death. How do I make this decision?”

“Let the doctors try first,” Barton said. “Fury won’t let any of us out of the country right now anyway, so Mel, you’re going to have to be it for a while. Keep him safe for me. Switzerland is good, but I don’t think they’ll be able to cure her completely. Not at the level they generally work at. You’ll be coming stateside before too long. One of us will be waiting for you in Maryland.”

“How did you know that’s where I would take her if this fails?” Coulson asked.

“That’s where you were, Phil,” Barton replied softly. “That’s where I had to come to see you, or your LMD, or both. You focus on your team, and pay close attention to yourself. Let us worry about the enemy for a while. Tony’s working on some things and Nat’s out fact finding as only she can. I’ll probably be the one that meets up with you at the base.”

“I’ll keep him safe from himself,” May said.

“Thanks, he needs that,” Barton said. “Agent Ward, I don’t give a damn what you’re doing with my best friend, but you need to get that jealous look out of your eye before I see you again. If you thought it would be roses and cuddles with May, then you’re not seeing clearly.”

Coulson twisted around to look behind them. “Agent Ward,” he said.

“Skye’s still stable,” Ward said, moving around to sit down in one of the chairs. “When do we touch down?”

“An hour. I’ll have to go get us ready to land here in a minute,” May said, still resting against Coulson. “Hawkeye, you guys be careful. We’re starting to find some things that we really don’t like.”

“Join the club,” Barton said. “I’ll check in when I can. Coulson, remember what I said.”

“I will,” Coulson said. “Love you, Clint.”

“I love you too, you nut.”

May looked over at Ward. “What?”

“You hate cuddling,” Ward said, “or at least that’s what you told me. I still can’t believe you told him.”

“Coulson is our team leader, he’s also one of my best friends,” May said. “He knew before I ever told him.”

“Dating the best marksman in the world tends to teach you to see things,” Coulson said. “Ward, you need to get your head square before we land, do you understand me? Right now you’re a menace and that’s not something I can ignore.”

“Yes, Sir,” Ward said with a sigh. “Skye had no business being there. You shouldn’t have sent her.”

“Sent her?” May asked. She was on her feet and standing over Ward before Coulson had a chance to open his mouth. “Sent her? Are you seriously blaming Phil Coulson for Skye’s reckless behavior while on a mission?”

“He’s the one that put the idea in her head that we needed Ian Quinn,” Ward said. “He paired her up with Fitz, who can’t keep anyone under control and goes along with suggestions to keep tension down around him.”

“The same young man that just reached out with all his heart to help a troubled youth and had his heart sliced in pieces?” Coulson asked. “The same young man that is beating himself up because he didn’t try to stop Skye from going in after Ian Quinn? That Fitz? The young man who, right now, is doing everything in his power to help keep a member of our team alive even while he’s drowning in his guilt? Is that who you’re talking about, Agent Ward?”

Ward had spent enough time with the team to know better than to say anything other than, “Yes, Sir.”

“Get out of my sight before I throw you out the back of the plane,” Coulson said. “May, get us on the ground. I’m going to make sure that Skye gets the best and most thorough treatment possible, even if it means doing what I swore I would never do to another.”

“You know the risks,” May said.

“I do,” Coulson replied. “Right now, I don’t really give a damn.”


	88. Chapter 88

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 5 of ?

Neither May nor Coulson were surprised when the doctors came in and told them that the treatment and surgery for Skye failed. They managed to get her stable, which was a start, but they couldn’t save her life. Not there. Coulson had been trying to get Director Fury on the phone, but couldn’t get an answer. May was the only one that reacted when Coulson threw his phone across the room.

“Sir,” Ward said.

“She’ll kill him,” Coulson replied. “FitzSimmons, go make arrangements to get Skye in one of our life support pods and ready to be put on the Bus. We’re going to save her life.” He headed out of the room quickly, following the trail of shaking people through the halls back towards the Bus. May, when she was upset, tended to have that effect on people.

“Stand down,” he ordered. The tone was the only thing that May reacted to. She stepped back and left Ian Quinn lying the on the floor in a pool of blood. Coulson didn’t even take time to look at the damage, he just shut the door behind them. “Get the Bus ready to go in the air as soon as Skye is loaded. We’re going to do it, Mel.”

“Are you certain?” she asked.

“No, but what choice do I have?” Coulson asked in reply.  
*~* 

Fitz and Simmons looked shocked when Coulson put the binder labeled “Level 10” down on the table in their lab and told them to read it. Both of them knew it was illegal and, if anyone ever found out, that they would be in more trouble than even Coulson would be able to get them out of. With a glance, they both decided that they would do what they had to do to save Skye, opened the binder, and started reading.  
*~*

Coulson wasn’t surprised when Ward came to him with news about their jet being boarded by SHIELD trying to take control of the situation back. Fury still wasn’t answering his phone, and Coulson was tempted to call Barton and get the agent to call and talk to Fury for him. “If they scratch my paint, I’m going to be pissed.”

The agent that came down the stairs surprised him. “Garrett, what are you doing here?”

“Trying to follow orders, Phil,” John Garrett said. “You don’t exactly make it easy these days. What happened to the bland suit in the background that I remember?”

“He’s still here, just better hidden these days,” Coulson said. “Why you?”

“Can we talk in your office?” John asked. “Trip, go take care of things downstairs.”

“Yes, Sir,” the younger agent said, heading down the stairs without another word.

“Eager and obedient, just like Ward was when he joined your lot,” Garrett said, following Coulson into his office. “You, and god I never once thought I’d say these words to you, are a bad influence on him.”

Coulson grinned. “I have my moments,” he said. “Never forget that I’m the one that taught Hawkeye how to be a good agent, and helped bring the Black Widow into form.”

“None of us have ever understood how you did either of those things,” Garrett said. “Give me a hint?”

“I’m not giving you anything, and that includes Ian Quinn,” Coulson said. “Right now, one of my agents is lying in a med. cube. She is on life support because of Quinn. He pulled the trigger. If she dies, so does he.”

Garrett sat down and leaned forward. “He really pulled the trigger himself?” he asked. “Phil, that changes things a bit. The man never dirties his hands like that, he keeps flunkies around for that. What happened?”

“How long have you been after him?”

“Never said I was.”

“Please. Don’t even try.”

“Since Malta. That stunt you guys pulled on the train cost my op big. I’m willing to play your game though,” Garrett said. “What if I can get HQ to back off and let me question Quinn here while we get your youngster to medical?”

“Then I would say that as long as I can be in the room with you, we would have a deal,” Coulson said. “Do you think we should go stop Ward and Trip from destroying the plane before you have a chance to enjoy it?”

“After you, Agent Coulson.”  
*~*

May was waiting for Coulson when he got back to his office, along with Simmons, who was holding a binder. “Phil, we need to talk,” May said.

“What is it?”

“Fury is still lying to us,” May said. “Simmons, explain it.”

Simmons took a deep breath and laid out everything that she and Fitz had discovered. Coulson listened and then told her to go and figure it out. “Mel?”

“You’re doing the right thing, Phil,” she said. “You are, but you have to ask yourself this question. Is it worth it?”

“Saving Skye?”

“Putting Skye’s life up against an army of soldiers that can never die,” May said. “I know what your immediate answer is, but think about this closely. We only just learned about the Clairvoyant a couple of weeks ago, maybe a month at most, but we don’t know how long he’s been playing with us. Making us move to his tune. Even now, he knows you’ll do anything to save Skye, so he put her in a position where you have no choice but to try and use even half of what was done to you to save her. Is that worth it?”

Coulson fell silent, thinking. May didn’t talk a lot, especially since the events that drove her down into Admin, so a speech from her was worth careful consideration. That she was one of his best friends, one he trusted to always have his back no matter how stupid he was being, was another reason that he had to consider things carefully. “How can I not?” he finally asked.

“Phil Coulson is a man that can put the mission above his husband’s life,” May said. “He can put the mission first if his husband, the man he loves more than life, is dying because of it. What has changed that he’s willing to risk the world for one young girl?”

“I’m sick of the lies,” Coulson said. “I’m sick of the deaths that come from the lies that Fury feeds us all. There’s still something, Mel, something that he’s not telling us. Simmons found out that I wasn’t treated in a SHIELD base. Then who the hell worked on me, and how did Fury find them? What’s he still hiding from us?”

“I don’t know,” May said. “You really think that FitzSimmons can work something out?”

“Be ready to turn the plane however the direct us,” Coulson said. “I’m not saying that I’m going to put Skye through the procedures. I’d rather her die than suffer like I did, but if there’s something easy that can be done. Some drug that will help her hold on long enough for her body to heal those wounds, then how can I not?”

May sighed. “Centipede already has advanced healing and strength,” she said. “Do you want to risk giving them even more advanced healing powers than they already have?”

“How about this?” Coulson asked. “We go in, we get the medicine, tools, machines, and doctors needed to save Skye. Then we blow the compound, wherever the hell it is, to dust and component atoms. When the doctors are done, we destroy the remaining medicine, notes, machines, and tools so no one else can use them.”

“The doctors?”

“We kill them,” Coulson said.

“Practical, but cold,” May said, expression not changing. “I think that might have been a hint of the pre-Loki Agent Coulson showing up.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“I wouldn’t let the children see it,” May said.

Coulson couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”


	89. Chapter 89

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 6 of 6 for 09/26/2014
> 
> Be back tomorrow with more. The afternoon thunderstorm is here so the computer has to be shut off.

“Mel.”

“Clint,” May said. “He needs you now.”

“What happened?” Barton asked, turning to focus more on the monitor.

“I don’t know. We found a medicine that was used on Coulson during his treatments and went to the location where it was stored,” May said. “He came out looking like he saw a ghost and was screaming for us not to use the medicine on Skye. When he realized he was too late, his eyes went haunted. He saw something else down there and he won’t tell us what it is.”

Barton sighed. “When are you touching down?” he asked. “And where?”

“I’m bringing him to New York. Medical there is good and they can keep an eye on Skye while she finishes healing,” May said. “Sit on him and figure out what happened to him, Clint. Because right now, he’s scaring me.”

“ETA?”

“We were in Europe, five hours,” May said.

“I’ll meet you at the base,” Barton said. He killed the monitor and looked back at Tony. “What do you think, Stark?”

Stark sighed. “So many secrets and lies swirling around Fury,” he said. “It’s like dragonflies hovering around a pond, Clint. I don’t know what to think about anything I’ve been reading. I also don’t know how the hell some of these things have been hidden for as long as they have been.”

“That’s at least easy to answer. No one in SHIELD has ever bothered to ask questions,” Barton said. “We’ve always just done what Fury’s office said and never once thought to question any of it. We all know the man lies, but he’s led SHIELD for a long time. We knew we could trust him to be dishonest.”

“That’s carrying the metaphor of pirate a little too far,” Tony said.

“What the hell are you talking about now?”

“Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean. The first one, not one of the sequels. Those were okay, but the first one was magical,” Tony said. “Something like ‘me, I’m dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It’s the honest ones you want to watch out for because you never know when they’re going to do something incredibly stupid’. Then he grabs a sword and they all start fighting over the gold.”

“I’ve never seen the movie so I’ll take your word for it,” Barton said. “What the hell does that have to do with talking about Fury?”

“I call him our one-eyed pirate boss,” Stark said. “Maybe it makes more sense in my head. Anyway, I’m still trying to dig into these level 12 files because I want to know what is hidden in them. I don’t care if it’s Fury’s collection of porn. I want to know what he thinks he has to lock away at such a high level. To tell you the truth, I’m getting sick and tired of finding out how many levels there actually are in this thing. Every time I think I’ve hit the top, I find something new.”

“You haven’t found anything beyond 12 though, have you?”

“Not yet, but who’s to say that something inside the 12 folders isn’t encrypted at a higher level than the file it’s contained within?” Stark asked.

“Now you’re just giving me a headache,” Barton said with a sigh. “I’m going up to get some supper before watching this next set of videos, Stark. You want anything?”

“I’m good, thanks though.”  
*~*

Barton was waiting when the back of the plane opened and the rest of the team came down the ramp with Skye. May caught his eye and nodded towards the plane. Barton nodded and headed onto the Bus and up to Coulson’s office. “Hey.”

“Clint. Mel must have called you.”

“Yep, and she brought you back to New York, Phil,” Barton said. “Come on, let’s go to the Tower and talk. I don’t know if my room is good enough to turn away a psychic, but it’ll block out everything else and you can tell me what you saw down under the mountain. It wasn’t a balrog, was it?”

“I almost wish it had been,” Coulson said with a sigh. “Do you have food?”

“At the Tower, yeah,” Clint said. “When I found out you were coming home, I stocked up on some of your favorite things. Given that everyone paid attention to the nasty note I left on it, you have a sandwich and chips waiting for you. All your favorites, Phil.”

Coulson nodded and stood with a sigh. “What did Melinda tell you?”

“That you looked like you had seen a ghost and that your eyes went haunted when you found out that you were too late to stop Simmons,” Clint said. “I don’t want to know more until we’re moderately secure. What happened with Quinn?”

“Fury, or someone, sent Agent Garrett and his new protégé to pick him up,” Coulson said. He settled in and started Lola. “If it wasn’t for them, I couldn’t have done what I did, but there was something unusual about him, Clint. Something I can’t quite put my finger on.”

“It’ll come to you,” Clint said. “Skye looked good. She going to be okay?”

“I think so,” Coulson said. “Medical will have to run some tests. Fury will probably find out what I did, and this might be enough to get me benched, maybe killed. He wouldn’t take my calls, Clint. I tried four times and he wouldn’t even take a minute to tell me no. I was ready to have you go and talk to him for me.”

“Fury’s on the Helicarrier,” Barton said. “He’s worried about something, Phil, but I don’t know what it is. It’s up over my level and I’m not pushing that. Not with everything else that’s been going on.”

Coulson pulled into the parking area under the Tower and parked with a sigh. “She’ll be safe here?”

“JARVIS, this is Lola,” Clint said. “Phil’s pride and joy. Keep a close eye on her, will you?”

“Of course. Welcome home, Agent Coulson. I am happy to report that your meal has been left unmolested and uneaten in the kitchen,” JARVIS said. “I believe the threats that Clint made were enough to save it for you.”

“Thanks, J,” Barton said. “Come on, Phil. Let’s go get your food and we’ll go to my room and talk.”

Coulson followed along behind his husband and didn’t say anything until they were locked in the secure room on Barton’s floor. “That place, Clint, where they were treating me, I’ve never heard of it before,” he started. “It’s not a SHIELD base, it’s not related to SHIELD in any way. I don’t know what it is. I think that you were seeing my LMD here in Maryland because I was never here. I was in Germany, for at least most of my treatment. I remember seeing Fury there at least once. Maybe he was there more, I don’t know. Fitz and I went deep into the compound to try and find this medicine Simmons thought would help Skye. We found it in a biohazard room. I didn’t think anything of sending him off to take it back to Skye and he was out of the room when I saw it. I saw it and my heart stopped, Clint.”

“What did you see, Phil?”

“Tahiti,” Coulson whispered. “Or, rather, an acronym that spelled out Tahiti. I don’t know what it stands for, but I had to know. I must have heard them talking about it at some point, realized it was important and internalized it to such a point that the machine programed in Tahiti as a physical location for me. I went over and opened the door, Clint. There were tubes running through filters and some sort of dark blue or black liquid running through them. I followed the lines to a door. I thought it was a door, but it turned out to be some sort of a water-filled medical pod. Lying there, in some sort of stasis was a nightmare.”

Clint moved over and wrapped his husband in a tight hug. “Tell me, Phil.”

“I’m not positive, and Thor will be the only one that can tell us the truth, but I think it was half of a Frost Giant,” Coulson whispered. “The tubes ran up into his guts and his legs are missing. Whatever those drugs are, whatever the hell it was that both Skye and I have been injected with, it’s made from that alien’s blood. Skye turned dark blue before she stabilized, Clint. I have doomed her to whatever fate happened to me.”

“We’ll talk to Thor and see what he has to say, but this makes sense, Phil,” Clint said. “Remember he said there was a trace of magic in you that he couldn’t figure out? That’s what he was picking up on. That’s one answer in our field of questions.”

“How did it come to this, Clint?” Coulson asked. “How did I do this to Skye? I thought I was helping her. That she wouldn’t suffer like I did, and the only thing I did was hurt her as badly as I was. I did the same thing Fury did for exactly the same reason. How am I different than him?”

“Maybe you’re not, but I’ll tell you this much, Phil Coulson,” Barton said softly. “You’re going to tell Skye the truth when she asks because I know you. Fury might feel guilty for what he did to you, just like you feel guilty for what happened with Skye, but he lied and you won’t. That right there, that’s the difference.”

“We can talk to Thor?”

“Yeah, we can call him tonight,” Barton said. “Come on, you need to eat and sleep. I don’t know how long you’ll be here, but let me fuss over you for a bit.”

Coulson leaned back against Barton with a small sigh. “In a minute. I need to be reminded that I’m still human.”

“You are, Phil. You are because I know you and I know your heart and soul,” Barton said, settling in so that when his husband fell asleep he could nap. “I know you inside and out and yeah, maybe there’s a little alien blood in you now, but it’s not doing anything but keeping you healthy. You are still human and you are still you. I’ll put that on tape for you to play on loop if you want me to.”

“Thank you.”


	90. Chapter 90

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning everyone. Here we go.
> 
> 09/27/14
> 
> New Chapter 1 of ?

Thor arrived the next morning and immediately joined Barton and Coulson in the secure room. “Son of Coul, the Hawk tells me that you are much shaken by something that you found hidden within the darkness under a mountain,” Thor said, sitting down against one of the walls. There were only two chairs in the secure room. “Can you tell me what it is that frightened you thusly?”

“I think, Thor, I think that it was a Frost Giant,” Coulson said softly. “I’ve never seen one before, but I remember what you told me about them and the being I saw in that stasis pod, or whatever it was, matched. I think he was being kept there, in some mockery of life, for his blood. It was being turned into some sort of medicine.”

“The Frost Giants of Jotunheim have never traveled to your realm, at least to the best of my knowledge,” Thor said. “That is not to say that they could not have come through a portal much as I do when I travel to your world. They are a savage group, they love war and battle, thus my people have been at war with them for generations.”

“What can you tell us about them, Thor?” Barton asked. “We want to know as much as we can so we’ll know if Phil and Skye are in danger from receiving some of the giant’s blood.”

“There is much lore about the Giants, this is true, but let me see if I can tell you what I know from my own battles against them,” Thor said. “They are a worthy opponent in battle, and Loki is of their blood. I believe this is where his love of deceit comes from, though I do not know that for fact. The Giants have strength many times that of a human and resist physical enemy, making them difficult to defeat in battle. I find beheading to be the best method should words fail.”

“Would those traits come over in their blood, Thor?” Coulson asked. “Skye, I couldn’t stop the injection when I found out what the medicine was, Skye turned dark blue before she started to heal and stabilize. The place where all this was done is gone, blown up and buried under a lot of rock so I can’t take you back there and show you what all I saw. I don’t know how filtered this compound or medicine, or whatever the hell it is, but I want to know what could happen to me. To Skye.”

“The ingestion of a foe’s blood gives strength to the one that won the day, Son of Coul, and any attributes you gain from such a day are to be viewed as gifts, not curses,” Thor said. “I know now what should happen should a human drink or otherwise gain the blood of a Frost Giant, should that truly be what was beneath the mountain. Will you let me look into your memories and see if you speak true?”

“I’ll go get us some food,” Clint said. “Trust him, Phil. It’s not uncomfortable and he doesn’t pry.”

“You’ve done this?”

“Yeah, couple of times, when I saw something in battle that I couldn’t describe properly, Thor asked if he could see it for himself,” Clint said. “I was scared the first time, not knowing what would happen, but it’s not anything bad. He’s just going to find that one memory and look at it. Shouldn’t take long at all.”

“Indeed, it will be a short time,” Thor said. “I shall not pry into anything within your mind, Son of Coul. I wish only to see if there is a Frost Giant upon your planet and, should there be, I would go and attempt to recover his remains. For holding him here denies him an honorable death, one a warrior truly deserves, and I would see him regain that honor.”

Coulson took a deep breath and sighed. “All right,” he said. “Take a look, Thor. I need to get this worked out.”

Barton left the pair in the room and headed up to the common area kitchen, where he found Natasha. “Hey, you’re back.”

“Just got home from base,” she said. “Coulson’s here?”

“Yep, down talking with Thor in my special room,” Barton said. “Did you hear anything about Skye while you were on base?”

“She’s healing, but no one is saying much about it,” Natasha said. “Coulson did something, didn’t he?”

“He did, but we’re not talking about it,” Clint said with a sigh. He put the three cups of coffee on a tray and went to find a box of Pop Tarts. “We’re working with a major handicap with this stupid Clairvoyant watching our every move. He’s fixated on Phil, and that’s making things even harder.”

Natasha nodded. “I didn’t find anything helpful for us while I was out on this latest run, but Fury had me going after a couple of artifacts,” she said. “They’re in his office. He’s worried about something, Clint. Something that he’s not telling anyone about, not even Hill.”

“I’ve picked up on that too. It’s like all of a sudden all of his plans are unraveling on him, he doesn’t know what’s happening, and he thinks there’s a threat coming our way,” Barton said. “A threat that is going to change everything for us, and I don’t know how good that’s going to be.”

“Depends on what we can learn before it happens,” Natasha said. “Can I come along and hear what’s happened or does Coulson need some time alone?”

“You can come. We’ll fill you in as best we can,” Barton said. “Bring the milk, will you? I don’t think that Phil’s been eating right while he’s in the field and I’m worried about his recovery.”

“I’m sure that Mel is keeping an eye on him,” Natasha said. She grabbed the milk bottle, along with a glass for herself, and fell into step next to Barton. “I want to know what’s happening to our home, Clint. I haven’t felt right on base for a long time, and I don’t like that.”

“I know what you mean,” Barton sighed. “You and I might be the only ones picking up on it, but it’s hard to know for sure.”

Coulson looked over when the door to the secure room opened. “You didn’t have to bring breakfast,” he said.

“None of us have eaten, and I know that Thor’s always hungry,” Barton said with a grin. “Besides, I found us a deadly assassin in the kitchen.”

“Natasha,” Coulson said, “how have you been? Do you need to talk about anything?”

She folded herself down onto the floor next to Thor and shook her head. “Barton and I talk, Phil,” she said. “I’m fine. I don’t like the feel at base, there’s electricity in the air that has nothing to do with missions, and I don’t like not knowing what’s going to happen. It’s too much like my life prior to SHIELD.”

“I think all of us are picking up on it,” Coulson said. “Thor said that I’m right, Clint. It was a Frost Giant.”

“The Frost Giants, when they are home, are massive beings of twenty or more feet in height,” Thor said, opening the box of Pop Tarts. “When they fight on a world more moderate in temperature, they shrink to a more human size, thus the ability to keep this one contained as he has been, though I know not for how long. He has no tribal markings that I can see within the memories, so I do not know his name or his clan.”

“I’ve missed something,” Natasha said.

Barton filled her in while Coulson picked at his toast. “I was too late to stop the injection,” he said, when Clint finished. “I tried. I tried so hard to get to her in time to stop it. I did what I thought was best and I put myself directly in line with Fury. I’m no better than he is because I did exactly what he did.”

“You saved a young woman’s life,” Natasha said. “The method may not be the best, but you have always taken pride in saving lives rather than taking them. Clint and I are both examples of this, Phil. You can feel your guilt until Skye is better and able to speak with you, then you need to realize that she will be happy to be alive and won’t care how you did it because you are her hero. The rest of us, we are heroes to the planet. Skye sees only you.”

“According to Ward that’s a problem,” Coulson said. “He’s regressing, and I don’t know what’s happened.”

“The kid still rubs me the wrong way, even if I do half like him now,” Clint said. “You know I don’t like people until they give me a damn good reason to, and he hasn’t done that yet. With everything we’re finding out, I think that it’s best for us to keep our heads down and follow orders as best we can. Fury’s already pissed about what we’ve been doing. We could push him over the edge.”

“I think he’s written us off,” Coulson said softly. “But that’s something for us to talk about later. Thor came with other news.”

“Indeed, and dire news it is,” Thor said. “One of my people has come to your land for reasons unknown to us at this time. Her name is Lorelei, and the Lady Sif shall be coming to aid you in her capture. I shall accompany the Son of Coul to keep him safe from this mystic that haunts the team, but this quest truly belongs to Lady Sif.”

Barton sighed. “Don’t suppose you brought the magic broom of cleaning up after yourself, did you, big guy?”


	91. Chapter 91

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 2 of ?

Coulson sent Thor and Natasha to brief the rest of the team on Lorelei and Lady Sif before shutting the door firmly behind them. “There’s something else, Clint.”

“I figured,” Clint said. He held his arms open and wrapped Coulson in a hug when his husband sat down between his legs. “It has to do with Germany, doesn’t it?”

“My nightmares are getting worse,” Coulson admitted. “Since I saw the Frost Giant under the mountain it’s like I can’t get my brain to shut down. I can’t get the information out of my mind. I need your help, Clint.”

“What can I do?”

“Help me get one night of sleep,” Coulson said. “I’m too shattered to focus properly, and I need to sleep so I can make an attempt to track down Director Fury before I have to go off and baby-sit Asgardians again.”

“Did you ever think that this would be your life, Phil?”

“Not at all,” Coulson said. “I’ve put out word that I need to talk with Fury and I’m hearing nothing back. May’s going to be worried about me because I’m gone so much. I am going to call in every favor I can to get the Director to talk to me, Clint. I want answers on Tahiti, and I’m not going to rest properly until I have them.”

Clint nodded and started to shift the other man around so he could reach where he wanted to. “May’s a good second, she’ll keep everyone in line for you while you’re gone,” he said, unzipping Phil’s slacks. “Ward’s going to be the problem right now, only because Skye is still too out of it to really be asking questions.”

“She’s recovering quickly enough that I don’t think it’s going to last much longer,” Coulson said with a soft sigh. “As much as I love traveling the world, solving problems, I’d rather be here, with you, in your arms every night, Clint. I don’t suppose you can sneak onto the Bus, can you?”

“I can’t leave the Avengers down two in case of a battle,” Clint said, stroking softly. “I’ll keep hunting for Fury while you’re working with the Lady Sif. Be glad that she isn’t planning to bring the Warriors Three along with her.”

“I think I am,” Coulson said. “Want you, Clint.”

“Let’s move out to the bed, it’ll be better,” Clint said. “Then we’ll talk to May in the morning and get these newer plans into action.”

“Strip for me.”

Barton stepped back and pulled off the black t-shirt he was wearing and dropped it off to the side before opening his jeans and pushing them off along with his briefs. He was barefoot, so he stepped out of the puddle of clothes and moved towards the bed, pushing Phil back as he crawled on, catching his husband’s mouth in a soft kiss. “Where do you want me?”

“In the middle of the bed on your back,” Coulson said. His jacket had been left in the secure room, so he set to work on his dress shirt, eyes fixed on the man waiting on the bed for him. “I miss this so much.”

“I do too,” Barton said. He pulled the lube out from under the pillow and reached down to start stretching himself. “I miss having you in bed with me every night, Phil. I miss working with you every day, being a full member of your team.”

“I think that I might have to pull some strings to get you attached to my team,” Coulson said. He crawled onto the bed and over his husband. “I’ll add it to the list of things I plan to talk to the Director about.”

“Do not mention that man when we’re in bed together,” Barton said with a small shiver. “Ick.”

“Sorry.” Coulson took the lube and ran some over his erection. “Ready?”

“Always.” Clint’s back arched slightly as he was filled. “Phil.”

“I gotcha.” Coulson’s hands went to Barton’s legs and moved them slightly, giving him a little more space to work in. He started thrusting slowly, wanting to extend the time he had with his husband. That he couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had private time together worried him a little. They fell into an easy and familiar rhythm that carried them both up and through their climaxes. Barton wrapped Coulson in a hug when the older man fell forward.

“Love you,” he whispered as he felt Coulson’s breathing start to even out.  
*~*

“May, engage your filter for me, please,” Coulson said the next day, shutting the door behind him. “I’m going to be gone a lot over the next couple of days. It’s going to look weird to the team, especially Skye, but Fury’s off-grid and I need to try and find him.”

“And ask him what?”

“About Tahiti. You can lie with the best of them, Mel,” Coulson said. “I need you to act like you don’t know what’s happening. Lady Sif from Asgard is coming to ask our help in tracking down someone from her home world. I’ll be back in time to help with that, but I’ve got to do this. I need answers.”

She sighed. “What if Fury decides he doesn’t like your questions, Phil? Then what are you going to do?”

“Given everything he did to bring me back, he wants something from me,” Coulson said. “I’m starting to feel like this is a test, and I didn’t study the right information. Keep the children in line for me, Mel, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“All right, but one of these days you’re going to take me with you.”

“Clint’s waiting in Lola. He’s going to be hidden for this meeting,” Coulson said.

“Who are you meeting with?”

“Sitwell. He took my place as Fury’s right hand man so if anyone knows where he is, it’ll be Jasper,” Coulson said. “I just have to get him to tell me.”  
*~*

Barton didn’t like Lola’s backseat. It was really too small for anyone to fit in, but he’d had practice getting into small spaces and he was able to hide back there for short periods of time. He wasn’t sure why Coulson wanted him along for the meeting, but figured he would work it out before too many words were said.

“Here he comes,” Coulson said softly. He waited until the car was parked next to them and the window had been rolled down. “Jasper.”

“You know, usually when people want something from me they take me out to dinner in a nice restaurant, bring me a bottle of wine, or some chocolate,” Jasper said.

“You want to go to the movies and hold hands, fine, but let me ask you a question first,” Coulson said.

“I don’t know where Fury is.”

Clint took note of that. Someone always knew where Fury was. He also caught the tone Sitwell said it in. The man was lying. The question that had to be answered was, what was the man lying about. Clint listened to the rest of the exchange, surprised when Coulson said, “it sucked” when asked about Tahiti.

“You got him thinking, Phil,” Barton said from the back of the car. He wouldn’t reveal himself until they were well clear of the location. “You should have responded like you always do.”

“That programming, whatever the hell it was, is broken,” Coulson said. “It has been since I came out of that machine Centipede had to try and read my mind. Report.”

“Sitwell is lying about something,” Clint said. “I just don’t know what it is.”

“Look into his recent projects for me while I’m off on baby-sitting duty,” Coulson said. “If Jasper has truly moved into the position I held for years, then he should know where Fury is. I know that Hill knows, because Fury never makes a move without telling her, but she won’t tell me. I think instructions were left with her.”

“Tony’s got firm lines into the SHIELD computers. Tracking down one or two agents’ movements won’t be hard,” Barton said. “Drop me at the Tower?”

“Sure. Keep in touch while you guys are working on this. I want to know why I’m suddenly being shut out of everything,” Coulson said. “It’s like they’ll throw me into the most dangerous missions, but they don’t care enough about me to answer my questions when they come up.”

“We agree something is wrong, Phil. Tony and I have both picked up on it. We’ve got our team, our personal team, working on it as best we can.” He finally sat up and stretched. “I hate this backseat area. We’ll get you answers.”

“I just hope they’re in time,” Coulson said.


	92. Chapter 92

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 3 of ?

“Okay, I think we all saw that one coming,” Coulson said, watching the bike roar down the road with Ward driving.

May sighed. “Should have sent me around back.”

“Should have moved faster,” Coulson replied. “We don’t know where he’s going or what he’s going to do next. Thor, keep Lady Sif calm for me. I do not need to explain to anyone why this building suddenly collapsed. May, let’s get our team plus our two friends back to the Bus and get the team working on this. We have to find Ward.”

“Will muzzling that witch bring Ward back?” May asked.

“If not, I’ll let you be the one to apply the standard medicine,” Coulson replied.

Sitwell, who was walking past, paused. “What standard medicine?” he asked. “We don’t have a standard medicine for possession by an alien.”

“Sure we do, it’s called cognitive recalibration,” Coulson said.

May almost smiled. “I’ll enjoy hitting him really hard in the head after this.”  
*~*

Coulson put everyone to task, scared the daylights out Simmons in the hallway, and stormed up to his office, where he found Thor. “Hey.”

“The Lady Sif awaits our next move,” Thor said. “She has yet to learn that at times one must wait before a battle may truly be engaged. What of you, Son of Coul? You look as if you have seen one of the ghosts your people speak of.”

“Lady Sif said that the Frost Giants tried to invade and conquer our planet a millennia ago,” Coulson said, sitting down behind his desk. “That technology wasn’t around that long ago. What I saw was recent. I don’t understand what’s happening, Thor.”

“Nor do I, my friend, but I vow to you now that I shall stand at your side until this battle is ended,” Thor said. “Then, when I return home, I shall speak with my father, who knows more of the Frost Giants than any in our realm, to find what answers he may have.”

“Thank you,” Coulson said. “Thor, how is it you’re not at risk from Lorelei?”

“I have many powers and magics of my own, some of those protect me, yet you will find I do not allow myself to be close to the enchantress,” Thor said. “One thing my father has taught me is that one must use the best tools for whatever task is set before you, and for this, the Lady Sif is the one we must look to to bring the threat to an end.”

“I’m not doubting her in the least,” Coulson said. “I was just curious how you could be along with us and not be worried about Lorelei.”

“I would kill her before she had a chance to touch me,” Thor said. “Which is why I remain in the background to allow the Lady Sif to bring Lorelei back to my father. I do not wish to disappoint him by interfering in a quest he personally appointed.”

Coulson nodded. “I’m glad you were able to come along to help us out,” he said. “I hate that Ward was taken as he was, but I also know we’ll be able to get him back.”

“This is the second time your Agent Ward has been wronged by one of my people,” Thor said. “I shall do my best to aid him in healing once more.”

“Thank you.”  
*~*

Coulson felt his age when he realized that Lorelei and Ward were on the plane and in control of the situation. “Thor, stand guard down here until I’m back,” Coulson said. “Ask me for the password when I come back to be certain that I’m still me.”

“What is the password, Son of Coul?”

“Make one up and give it to me in riddle form,” Coulson said. “Lady Sif says that men remember everything about who they are and what they do, but their focus has shifted to keeping Lorelei happy, and they don’t care who they hurt in order to do that. I’m trusting you to keep this part of the Bus secure, Thor.”

“I shall not move from my location for anything,” Thor said.

“Good. Thank you. May.”

“I’ll take care of it.” She headed up the stairs and vanished forward in the plane. Coulson went to open the cell to let Lady Sif out, thinking they really needed a better place to bunk their guests, when he almost ran into Fitz.

Coulson was known for being able to think on his feet, to make minute decisions that could either make or break and op, and he quickly realized that Fitz had been compromised. He played it off and headed back downstairs to the lab.

“Son of Coul, what is it that you desire more than anything else within this realm or any other?” Thor asked.

“Answers to all my questions about what the hell Fury did to me, and time alone with my husband, Hawkeye,” Coulson replied. “Good work, Thor. Fitz is taken. I need Simmons and Skye to get Lady Sif out of the room she’s been using.”

“You’re too late for that, Sir,” Simmons said, appearing from behind Thor. “Ward opened the hatch. Sif is gone.”

“She’s Asgardian. She’s still out there. Open it up and get her back,” Coulson said. “Skye, you work on that. Simmons, I need your help.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Coulson led her forward, motioning for Thor to stay with Skye and guard her no matter what. “Fitz is compromised badly. Go up and lure him down here for me. Please. I just want to get him out of the battle.”

“You won’t hurt him?”

“I’m going to have to hit him, Jemma. I’ll pull the punch.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. “All right. I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you.”

Coulson moved into the shadows behind the stairs and waited. He knew it wouldn’t be long, and could only pray that Ward set the autopilot before he left the cockpit to engage May. There was no question that they had engaged. The thuds were audible through the plane, and he hoped that May would be okay. “Fitz.”

“Yes, Sir?” Fitz turned to face him, and Coulson punched him once, knocking him out cold.

“Poor Fitz, always getting knocked out,” Simmons said with a small sigh. “Thank you for not hurting him badly, Sir.”

“He’s compromised. He’ll be fine. The Lady Sif will make sure of that.”

“Do you think she can win, Sir?”

“No, I know she can win because Odin, King of Asgard sent her here on this mission for a reason,” Coulson said. “You can’t doubt kings, Simmons, it looks bad.”

She glanced over at him. “Even if they’re insane from generations of in-breeding and want to have someone’s head chopped off?”

“No, then you kill them and put their cousin on the throne.”

“You’ll have to tell me about that mission some day, Sir,” Simmons said. “I think it’s over.”

“Stay here. I’ll go find out.” Coulson started up the stairs and arrived in the room just in time to see May hit Ward one final time. He bit his lip to keep from laughing. Ward didn’t know it, but he’d just gotten off really lucky.  
*~*

“Son of Coul, it does my heart good to know that you are still among the living and fight with your strength back to full measure,” Thor said while he and Lady Sif were preparing to return home. “I shall take your questions to my father and return should I learn anything new that can aid you in your quest.”

“Thank you,” Coulson said. “Lady Sif, it was a pleasure to meet you officially, and an honor to fight at your side. SHIELD thanks you on behalf of our realm for your great effort in tracking and containing the criminal Lorelei.”

Lady Sif bowed. “It was my duty, and my pleasure, to aid you thusly,” she said. “I wish you luck in all you attempt, Son of Coul. Fight well and live to fight another day.”

“I will,” Coulson said, stepping back. He knew better than to stay close when whatever force it was that helped the gods travel between worlds enveloped them.

“Phil, you’re not going to believe this,” May said.

“What?”

“There’s a broom cleaning up the plane and no one is using it,” May said. “It’s working by magic, I think.”

Coulson couldn’t help it. He started laughing.


	93. Chapter 93

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 4 of ?
> 
>  
> 
> Gonna break for lunch. I'll be back in a bit with the next episode. It's getting harder to keep the Avengers tied in, so updates might be a bit slower than I was anticipating. Also debating Captain America 2 right now.

Coulson took a tablet with the video open to Barton’s secure room with him into the cube where Skye was still healing and shut the door behind him. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but you have to know, Skye,” he said. “No one else wants me to tell you, but I have to.”

“Okay, you have that same look in your eyes as you did when you told me that I’m an 084,” Skye said, sitting down on her bed. “I think maybe, given the recent brush with death, that I want to be sitting down for this. Who’s on the tablet?”

“It’s me,” Barton said. “Phil called me to tell me what he’s doing. I don’t agree with all of it, but you’ve had your moment, Skye. You’re also one of the best hackers I’ve come across in my time with SHIELD and, given I live with Tony Stark, that’s saying something. Phil thinks this is the right thing to do, and I trust him.”

“It’s about the drug they used on us both, Skye, that I led them to use on you,” Coulson said. “I don’t know how, I’ve been trying to find answers to the questions that have been running through my head since you were shot and I saw where this drug came from. The actual source for it. I don’t have answers, but you have a right to know what I’ve done to you.”

“Hold on a second there, the only thing you did to me was save my life, Coulson,” Skye said. “Does it matter what happened if we’ve both here and we’re both alive?”

“Yes, it does,” Coulson exclaimed. “It matters because it’s alien.”

Skye blinked a few times and then frowned. “You don’t mean alien like unknown, do you, AC?” she asked.

“No. I wish I did.”

“Okay, so what’s the big deal here?” Skye said. “I’m alive. I’m fine. You’ve had whatever it is in you for who knows how long and you’re fine. You are fine, right? You’re not growing any weird limbs you haven’t told anyone about, right?”

“Okay, I know that you like to be unflappable, but this is an instance where you should be flapped,” Coulson said. “I had you injected with body fluids from an alien being that we know nothing about.”

“That probably really sounded better in your head there, Phil,” Barton said. “Skye, we’ve managed to work out that the alien is from a race known as Frost Giants. We’re not sure how he came to be here, or exactly how his blood, or whatever fluid they were using from his body, was turned into a healing syrum; or even how it heals to begin with. We have more questions than answers, and SHIELD has us shut out completely.”

Skye nodded. “Coulson, I’m an 084. We don’t know what I am anyway. How do you know that this drug hurt me?”

“I don’t, but I took away your choice, just like Fury took away mine,” Coulson said. “I’m sorry for that.”

“No, don’t be. Don’t ever be sorry for saving my life,” Skye said. “I’m too attached to it to be mad at you for this, Phil. Am I shocked, yeah, but compared to some of the things I’ve seen since I joined your team, this is nothing. I still want to train and get better. I want to get faster and be able to fight. I made a mistake going into the house like I did because I didn’t have the training to back myself up. I put you into this position, and I’m sorry for that. Train me. I want to learn for real now.”

“You’ll lose so much of your innocence if we start training you to be a SHIELD agent,” Coulson said. “Barton?”

Clint nodded. “Skye, we’ll train you, but we’re not going to do it as an agent,” he said. “Phil’s done this before with me. You’ll learn to fight, shoot, assess, track, and everything that they try to teach you in the academies. You’re just learning one on one rather than in a group setting. Some of us learn better away from the groups. I think you’re one of them. This isn’t going to be easier than going through the academy. This is going to be the hardest thing you ever have done in your life.”

“I understand, and I want it,” Skye said. “Ward said he would ease me back into training. I don’t want to be eased back in. I want to learn.”

“You will have to be eased into things for a couple of weeks,” Coulson said. “No, listen to me, Skye, you almost died. You’re going to have PT and you’re going to be good about it. My husband is the master at avoiding PT so I know all the tricks. While you’re getting your body used to working out, to the physical activity, we’ll work on tracking through computers. You’re already good at it, but now it’s time to learn how to leave no trace at all behind.”

“You can teach me that?”

“No, but I know someone that can,” Coulson said. “Skye, listen to me. The team, they can’t know about any of this. They can’t know that we’re looking for answers about what happened to us. About what this drug truly is. It will only put them in danger. I know you want to trust them with everything, but we can’t do that right now. We’re going to ignore the rules, the book, the levels; everything. I want answers and we’re going to find them.”

Barton sighed. “I’ll keep trying to find Fury for you, Phil,” he said. “Skye, we’re all dead if this gets out. Not just you. Not just Phil. All of us.”

“All right. I don’t like it, but I understand,” Skye said. “When do we start?”

“First thing in the morning. I’ve got a couple of other things to work out first,” Coulson said. His ears picked up a faint noise and he worked to keep his face neutral. “You go on your computer and read what you can on Asgardians. That won’t look strange because we just finished an op involving them. One of their primary enemies is the Frost Giants. See if you can learn anything that can help us.”

“Yes, Sir, AC,” Skye said with a small try at a smile.

“Then get some sleep. We’ll go for a walk in the morning,” Coulson said. He squeezed her shoulder and headed back up towards his office. “Clint?”

“I heard it and have a track already, Phil,” he said. “You’re not going to like what I found out.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s Mel. She’s got a secure line to HQ and she just reported in that you know,” Barton said. “Who do we trust, Phil?”

Coulson closed his eyes and sank down on the small couch in his office. “I don’t know, Clint. It’s like everything is conspiring against me right now, and I can’t tell if it truly is, or if I’m becoming paranoid because so many secrets have been kept from me,” he said. “How do I even begin to do this?”

“I’ll find us Fury. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I’ll find him,” Barton said. “That phone that May’s using might hold the key for me. Then we’ll see what our Director has to say about things.”

“I’m tired, Clint.”

“I know you are,” Barton said. “Guided dreaming tonight, focus on me, and we’ll see if we can meet up when we’re apart like this. If we can’t, find a memory you enjoy and sink into it. You have to sleep, Phil, because you’re going to have to be strong for what’s coming.”

“What is coming, Clint? What else can they throw at us?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t think I want to even attempt to find out,” Barton said. “I love you so much, Phil. Hold onto that if you can hold onto nothing else. It’s possible that May’s still with us.”

“It’s also possible she’s against us,” Coulson said. “We trust each other, Clint. Plus Skye. I don’t want to make Nat prove herself to us again, but it’s possible it could come down to it.”

“I’ll stand by the Avengers, Phil. We can trust every one of them because they hate being puppets,” Barton said. “The two of us, my team, and Skye. That’s not bad when going up against the unknown lurking in the darkness.”

“No it’s not,” Coulson said. “I just hope that it’s enough.”


	94. Chapter 94

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 5 of 5

The Bus made one stop before heading for the carrier where Coulson planned to pick up the senior agents that he wanted to talk to in lieu of being able to speak with Director Fury.

“Permission to come aboard, Sir,” Steve Rogers said, standing at the bottom of the ramp.

“Captain, it would be my pleasure to welcome the Avengers aboard,” Coulson said, returning the salute. He would have said more, but he suddenly had an armful of archer. “Clint.”

“What, I missed you,” Barton said. “No go with Fury.”

“We’re hoping that by helping you out with Mike Peterson, Deathlok, whatever the hell it is he’s called these days, maybe we can get the attention of our pirate boss,” Tony said. “Have I told you how much I love this car, Agent? Because I really love this car. Ouch!”

Natasha hit his hand again. “No one touches Lola,” she said. “Coulson.”

“Welcome back, Natasha,” he said. “We don’t have much bunk space and we’re picking up more people. I have you all in the forward storage bays. I don’t want anyone to know that Barton is on this Bus.”

“Okay, but why?” Tony asked.

“Go stow your gear and meet me up on the main level,” Coulson said. “Clint, give Nat your stuff and come on up with me. Guys, quicker is better for this.”

“We’ll be right there,” Steve said.

Barton followed his husband up the stairs and out into the main area, where he suddenly had an armful of Skye. “Hey there.”

“I am so sorry for everything I put you through, Agent Barton,” Skye said. “I didn’t understand, but I do now.”

“You grew up, Skye,” Barton said, kissing her cheek before letting her go. “Mel.”

“Hawk.”

“Ward, FitzSimmons, good to see everyone again,” Barton said. “You’ve all been having more fun than we have, and that’s not really fair.”

Coulson sighed. “We’re going to be talking about a few things today, Clint, that you and I have already talked about, but I want to know that you’re really okay with me telling the team about it.”

“I trust you, Phil,” Barton said. “With Hand coming, I’m going to go up and in, check and make sure my vents are ready for me. I have my com in, call me if you need me. Everyone remember, I’m not here. But my team is.”

“Official introduction time because I’m not sure who all has met who,” Coulson said. “Captain Steve Rogers, Dr. Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, and Natasha Romanov. The Avengers, minus Thor, who is still in Asgard. Avengers, this is my new team; Melinda May, Grant Ward, Skye, Leo Fitz, and Jemma Simmons. We’re here because it’s time to go after the person calling himself the Clairvoyant and end this threat to SHIELD for good. I’ve been keeping a few things back, a few secrets, and some I won’t tell because they’re not mine to share. Some I’m still thinking about, but we’re picking up an elite group of agents that have the ability and power within SHIELD to help us reach this mission directive. Director Fury is currently off-grid and cannot be reached, so I have decided that this is our mission.”

“I’ve decided that it’s ours as well,” Steve said. “Fury doesn’t want the Avengers involved in the day to day operations of SHIELD, but Mike Peterson brings this outside the scope of the daily and into something it’ll be better to have the Avengers on. Stark, do not touch that.”

“Wasn’t going to,” Tony said, pulling his hand back from the holo-table. “So, we have a super soldier made more by Centipede and other bio-adjustments that we don’t know anything about. We need data. My children here, Fitz and Simmons, have been working on trackers that can help us there.”

Ward shook his head. “That’s a mental image I didn’t need,” he said. “Coulson, Sir, we’re going after Peterson?”

“We’re going after the man behind Deathlok,” Coulson said. “For a while now, I’ve been realizing that there’s something wrong within SHIELD. Something that no one can explain to me, and I’m starting to wonder if it links back to the Clairvoyant. SHIELD has an official position on psychics and others with powers of the mind. They do not exist. Agent Garrett has been working on a special project for me down that line of inquiry and will be reporting back here soon. Everyone please, sit down, and let me talk to you for a few minutes before we have to land and let those we might not be able to trust fully join us.”

“Agent Coulson, you can’t start seeing spooks everywhere,” Steve said, sitting down next to Ward. “If you do that, if you start questioning who you can trust and who you can’t, then you might as well shoot yourself dead because that’s what’s going to happen to you in the field. You’ll be so crossed up that you won’t remember good from bad. You’ll question everything and the lack of answers will make you paranoid.”

“I might be part way there already,” Coulson said. “What I’m going to propose is a way to attempt to track a man that can read minds and predict with incredible accuracy our actions in the field and out. First though, you all know that I was dead and brought back to life. I still do not understand what happened to me, what all was done, but the procedure was questionable at best. I want you to know that, should one of you be injured beyond repair by our medical department, I will ensure that you not be put through the same procedure.”

“We used the last of the drug on Skye anyway, so there’s no way we could go through the same procedure,” Simmons said. “Although, Sir, if you would just let me send off a sample of Skye’s blood to the lab at the Hub, it’s possible they might be able to find a trace of the drug and replicate it.”

“No, Simmons, and do not ask me again. Until I have word from Director Fury on the matter, the topic is closed,” Coulson said. “I will never say that saving Skye was a mistake, because it wasn’t, but had I known then what I do now, I would not have done it.”

Skye nodded. “I understand, AC,” she said softly.

“Thank you,” Coulson said with the fond smile he usually reserved for her. “Our mission is to contain the Clairvoyant and move him to a secure location where he can be questioned and controlled. Fitz, Simmons, Stark says you’re working on trackers. Are you ready for this?”

“As ready as we can be, Sir,” Fitz said.

“I trust you to triple check everything before you go out into the field,” Coulson said. “Stark, quit playing around over there and sit down before I taze you.”

“I actually miss that,” Stark said, flopping down in one of the chairs. “Deathlok, or whatever the hell his name is, he’s going to be packing a lot of tech. From the description given to you by Skye, he’s had a lot done to him and it’s very likely that he’s more cyborg than he is anything else. That means bullets are going to be impossible against him. They’ll bounce right off and forget about trying to hit him. I know that’s a favorite attack for the two seriously deadly women glaring at me from across the room, but he’s going to be wearing a lot of metal. It’s very likely that any skin that’s visible has metal plating beneath it, so forget about knives.”

“So you’re saying we’re helpless against him,” Ward said. 

“No, but I’m saying that if you find him, you leave him to me and my butler,” Tony said. “The two of us can probably scramble a few signals well enough to put Deathlok down until we can contain him.”

“Your butler?” Skye asked. “You mean Jarvis, or whatever his name is?”

Coulson smiled. “JARVIS is an Avenger, and he’s also very secret,” he said. “Go ahead, Tony. Introduction time.”

“J, you awake?” Tony asked, putting a tablet down on the table in the middle of the group of chairs.

“Always, Sir,” JARVIS replied. “Is it meeting time already? I must have lost track while searching through files for information on the tech we will be encountering. It is a pleasure to meet you all. Please do let me know if I ever can be of assistance.”

“So he’s back at the Tower on the computer?” Skye asked.

“No, he’s an AI,” Tony replied with a small grin. “Smartest one on the planet.”

“The only one on the planet, I believe, Sir,” JARVIS said. “Agent Coulson, Sir, we are nearing our meeting place with the other SHIELD agents that will be aiding us in this latest mission.”

“Thank you, JARVIS,” Coulson said. “No one mentions the AI. He’s Stark’s secret weapon. Remember, Barton is not on this plane. He has his own mission.”


	95. Chapter 95

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning everyone :) Thanks for still coming along with me on this. We're starting up chapters for 09/28/14. I have to go back to work tomorrow, so I'll keep working on this when I have time depending on my energy level when I get home from shift.
> 
> All right, here we go. Time for Iron Man to meet Deathlok, I think.
> 
> New chapter 1 of ?

The vents were in better shape than the last time Barton was up in them, and he thought that maybe Coulson had done something to get them ready just for him. Running into the small hand broom sweeping on its own was a shock, but Barton just grinned, realizing that Thor had taken him seriously about a broom that cleaned up on its own. While Barton didn't like magic, he was willing to admit that it did have its uses. He checked every inch of the vents, making sure there was no way anyone would be able to get up into them, locking them all from the inside, except for the grate down into Coulson's office and the one down into the Ops room. They were both impossible to reach from the floor if the person wasn't a former circus performer that enjoyed heights and leaping around for a living. When he felt the plane descending, Barton headed for the area over the main meeting area and settled in.

"You have the Avengers on an unsanctioned mission, Agent Coulson," Sitwell said as soon as he caught sight of the group. "Wait a minute, where the hell is Agent Barton?"

"He's on a mission for the Hub," Coulson said. "Orders from higher up, I don't even know where he is. Captain Rogers asked to be included in this mission, Sitwell. I didn't call and ask them for help. I think it's a good idea. Deathlok is someone that we shouldn't be fighting. Stark."

"I need data, but I think we're looking at a Cyborg of some sort," Tony said, not looking up from his tablet. He didn't like any of the agents that had come on-board, and was doing what he did best to piss them all off. "Bullets, knives, guns; none of these are going to work against him. We don't know what sort of weapons he will be carrying. We don't know what he can or cannot do. Deathlok is, at this time, a complete unknown beyond the data that we have from when Mike Peterson was at the SHIELD academy attempting to get as good as our Capsicle here. That's impossible, of course, but you can't blame him for trying. I'm along because my suit has the best chance to go up against this guy and have me come out the other side alive. If any of you go in and try to face this guy, you very likely will not come out the other side alive."

Agent Hand bristled. "We have special forces that can handle the super beings," she said.

Tony glanced up. "You mean like you _hand_ led the Hulk? Cap here? Like that, Agent Hand," he said. "You don't know anything because you're always locked away in a safe location watching video. There are words for people like you."

"Tony, enough," Steve said. "Ma'am, your special forces are good. We're not saying that they're not, but in this case, we are facing an unknown. We know, thanks to Skye, our newest agent, that Mike Peterson has been given several upgrades and is likely more machine now than human. The Avengers are the team held in reserve by Director Fury to deal with situations just like this. While he's absent on a mission of his own, I am in charge of the team, and I've decided that we're going to be first in against Deathlok. If you object or do not like it, then I suggest you call Director Fury and speak with him. Otherwise, my team and I will be on the ground and we will be the ones to make first contact because we don't take damage like your special forces will."

"Captain Rogers is correct," Coulson said. "He, Dr. Banner, and Mr. Stark will be coming out with the three teams we are deploying based on information Skye gives us. She has created a way for us to try and stay out of the eye of the Clairvoyant long enough to get close to him. We will be put in random teams of three. Two of us will have information - location and name - that the third will not, and the name will only be revealed when we are close to target."

"And where will the special forces be during this, Coulson?" Hand asked.

"Close by, but not so close that our mission is compromised," Coulson replied. "Their response time is excellent, I have no concern having them stand ready when we will each have an Avenger with us."

Agent Hand all but threw her hands up in the air. "Fine, but I will have no part of this. I'm going back to the Hub to coordinate the special forces with your field teams, Coulson," she said. "I want Agent Simmons to come and tell us everything she can about Deathlok and what could have happened to him."

"That's fine," Coulson said. "The rest of us will be paired up by Skye and head out."

Up in the vents, Barton almost sighed. Having Hand leave made his job harder, but not impossible. He dropped a tiny transmitter to Natasha, who was standing behind everyone, and watched as she managed to get it tagged onto Hand. Barton wasn't going to leave his husband's side again until the situation was handled.  
*~*

When they realized what happened, how the Clairvoyant was still at least one step ahead of them, and regrouped at the Bus, Bruce tracked Coulson down in his office. "Do you have a minute?" he asked softly. "Hey Clint."

"Hey, you feeling better?" Clint asked from the floor. He'd given up on the sofa thing, it was too much like a rock to sit on.

"Yeah, Deathlok packs a real punch," Bruce said. "I heard him whisper something to Agent Blake, Phil, that I think you need to hear. I also heard him say something else that doesn't make any sense to me."

"What's that?" Coulson asked, putting his pen down.

"He said that Mike Peterson is dead," Bruce said.

Barton and Coulson glanced at each other. "I doubt that's the truth, but I'm fairly sure that he's buried deeply within Deathlok as a way to stay sane while he's being tortured like this," Coulson said. "Mike has a son that is his whole world, and I can guarantee you that the boy is still the one thing that is being used to control him."

"Maybe not. When he walked away from us, he asked why he was being ordered off," Bruce said. "If he hadn't had that leg, I would have caught him, and I think the Hulk might have been able to hold onto him long enough for us to ask him some questions."

"He's got the eye implant in," Clint said. "Bet the kill switch is there too."

"We're still no closer to being able to get a good read on that tech, where it's come from or who developed it," Coulson said with a sigh. "That does explain a few things about Deathlok though. If he does have the implant, he's constantly receiving orders that no one else can hear. It's why he didn't kill Skye in Italy. It's why he keeps coming and going like he does rather than fighting. He knows about the tech, what it can do, and knows that he's dead if he doesn't obey it."

Clint sighed. "I feel bad for the guy. All he wanted was a better life for his kid and every choice he's made has led him deeper into trouble," he said. "Looking like he does now, there's no way he can just go and see the kid. He would have to have permission from his handler, and I'm betting he doesn't have that yet."

"In a way, I feel like I failed him," Coulson said. "I could have had May and the team recover him from the bridge when I was kidnapped, but I knew he was working for himself and didn't feel safe having him near the team if I wasn't around."

"We just keep going forward, Phil," Clint said. "Bruce, how strong does he punch?"

"He almost sent May through a wall and was able to startle the Hulk," Bruce said. "He didn't hurt him, but it wasn't something either of us has felt before and that's what slowed us down. The big guy is used to being able to shake everything off and keep going, and he wasn't able to do that this time. It was really confusing."

"We were all expecting to find him torn in half when we realized that the Hulk made an appearance," Clint said. "The big guy likes protecting people, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does," Bruce said. "When we get a final position on Deathlok, I'd like to stay back and protect Skye and Fitz if I could."

"That would be perfect, and what I was planning to ask you to do anyway," Coulson said. "Fitz will be going in with us initially because we're going to need the scanners he and Simmons have created, but I'm going to send him back out when we have a position. Tony and his suit will be more helpful inside this time around. I want as much data as possible on Deathlok before we find his boss."

"Do you really think we'll find his boss this time around?" Clint asked.

Coulson nodded. "I do, because he wants to be found," he said. "I'm not sure what his play is, but he still doesn't seem to be expecting the Avengers, and I'm not sure what I make of that. Barton is still working his own op, but he'll be with us in the field."

Barton grinned. "I'm trying to work out a puzzle that I've been working on for a couple of years now," he said. "Hopefully I get it here soon, because time is running out."

"Time is running out for all of us," Tony said from the door. "We just found Deathlok."


	96. Chapter 96

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 2 of ?

“You know, when you said you would be glued to my side until this is over, I didn’t think you meant it quite this literally,” Coulson said.

Barton grinned and nudged his husband’s hip with his own. “I know you, and I know that you are not planning to stay with the group,” he said. “You need someone with good eyes with you so that when you go off to play hero, you won’t get yourself killed again.”

“Not planning on it,” Coulson said. “There goes Stark.”

“I think he’s taking this personally,” Clint said. “I’m ready when you are, Phil.”

“Teams move out,” Coulson ordered. “Let’s go see what trouble we can find, Clint.”

“Trouble finds us, Sir.”

The pair made their way into the abandoned racetrack, Coulson rolling his eyes when Garrett blew the front door open. The man was a bit too fond of bombs for safety, but they weren’t exactly going for subtle at that point. The Clairvoyant knew they were there, and Coulson knew they were walking into a trap. He just wasn’t sure what form that trap would take.

“I wonder how this is going to play out, Sir,” Barton said, sweeping a hallway with his eyes rather than his bow.

“We’re walking right into the web that’s been woven around us from the beginning,” Coulson said. “Every sense is screaming at me that this isn’t right. That this isn’t the trap we’ve been prepping for, but I don’t know why that is.”

Barton glanced around a corner and grinned when one of the glowing yellow scanners flew past. “If your instincts are up then I’m paying attention, Sir,” he said. “We’re clear at this end. Anyone have visual yet?”

“Fitz tracked him down and Iron Man is moving to engage,” the report came back. “We’re in holding until we receive word from him.”

“Copy that, Cap,” Barton said. “I’m switching to Iron Man’s channel. PC is remaining on this one.”

“Roger.”

Coulson smiled fondly at how well his husband worked with his idol. Barton’s hand came down from his ear. “Stark, whatcha got?”

“Dust and cobwebs at the moment, but I see him up ahead,” Tony reported. “One of the baby bots just went past, Skye should be getting information back in the van.”

“Confirmed,” Coulson said when the question was relayed to him.

“I’m seeing tech and more tech,” Tony said. “He’s got metal over eighty percent of his body, most of it under his skin, along with enhancements that mean he can run, jump, and, son of a bitch.”

There was the sound of a rocket propelled something over the com before Tony came back on. “And fight better than ever,” he said. “Moving to engage.”

“Be careful, Tony, we don’t know if one of those enhancements isn’t a bomb and this was bait to get you,” Barton said.

“I’ve got it covered,” Tony said. He focused back on the man in front of him and shook his head with a small sigh. “They didn’t give you a choice in any of this, did they? They just went ahead and took away everything that makes you who you are and turned you into a weapon for them. Tell me who your boss is and I’ll take care of them for you.”

“There’s nothing you can do to help me,” Deathlok said.

“Sure there is,” Tony said. “I can take care of your son for you. It won’t be the same as having you, but I can make sure the kid grows up knowing that his father made all the choices he did so the kid could have a good life. Better than thinking his father died a traitor to his country.”

Tony managed to dodge the punch, but only just and hopped back a little. “Touchy subject there, I can tell. Okay, how about you tell me what all happened to you,” he said. “What they did. What they’re telling you.”

“Why are you here?” Deathlok asked. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Huh, so that holds true,” Tony muttered to himself. “I’m here to be certain you don’t hurt one of my friends there, buddy. I don’t know what your orders are, what you’ve been told to do, but if you try to hurt any of them, I’m going to stop you.” He put his arms up and some of his weapons appeared. “I’ve refined things a bit since the battle of New York, you see.”

“I’m to disengage and leave,” Deathlok said. “Do not follow.”

“Yeah, no, I’m not that good at following orders,” Tony said. “I have to make sure that you’re not setting up a trap for my team.”

“The Avengers have no part in this. They do not belong here,” Deathlok said. “Leave now before something happens to the team you care so much for.”

“We know that your boss can’t see the Avengers,” Tony said. “That isn’t news to any of us. Hate to break it to you, but that’s one reason we’re here like we are. Because we’re invisible.”

“You are in the way.”

Tony braced himself for a punch or attack, and was surprised when Deathlok ran off down the corridor and jumped down a sewer grate. “Huh, that was weird on a scale that I haven’t had for a while. You catch all that, Birdy?”

“Yeah, and I don’t know what to make of it,” Barton said. “What data did you get on him, Tony?”

“J is running through it now. We’ll know more when he’s done, but I’ll tell you this much right now, that thing is not human,” Tony said. “He’s more machine now than man, and that makes him that much more dangerous.”

“Star Wars quotes, really?” Barton asked.

“Why not. Always time for Star Wars,” Tony replied. “Tell Agent that I’m picking up on another life sign down here, and this one reads as human.”

“He just got the same report from Fitz,” Barton said. “We’re moving to engage now. You want to meet us there?”

“On my way,” Tony said.

Barton kept his com on the channel that Tony used and followed behind Coulson as they headed down into the darkness. He didn’t know what they were going to find, but a man sitting in a chair hooked up to life support and computers certainly wasn’t it.

“I can see all of you,” the man said. “All of you but Coulson and the Avengers. Why are you blocked from me?”

“Don’t know,” Coulson said. “Don’t care. You’re going away for a long time, Nash. You’re finished.” He listened with half an ear, knowing there was something wrong, something nagging at him, and also knowing that Nash wanted to get Coulson mad enough to do something stupid. 

He would never admit to jumping when Ward shot the man dead. Only Barton’s hand on his back kept him from shooting Ward. “This op is done. Get a clean-up crew in here now,” Coulson ordered. “May, get Ward upstairs now. Barton, Widow, with me, now.”

The pair fell into step behind Coulson until they were in an area where no one would be able to hear them. “What the hell was that?” he asked softly. “Ward doesn’t have a hair-trigger. What’s happening?”

“Someone is trying to make you question everything, Phil,” Natasha said softly. “I’m going to the Hub, try and find some answers there. Fury is back and wants to talk with you. May relayed that to me just before she headed upstairs with Ward.”

“We have to hold onto our trust in the people we’ve talked about, Phil,” Clint said. “If you start doubting everyone, how will you survive this? How will you come out the other side the same man that you always have been?”

“I haven’t been that man in a while,” Coulson admitted.

Barton leaned in and pressed a kiss to Coulson’s temple. “You are still the same man that I fell in love with all those years ago, and the man that I agreed to spend the rest of my life with. That’s who you are, Phil. You are a good man that is letting too many questions overwhelm him.”

“Thank you,” Coulson said quietly.


	97. Chapter 97

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 3 of ?

Skye tapped on the door to Coulson’s office on the Bus. “Hey, can I talk to you guys for a minute?” she asked. “What’s got you looking all serious?”

“This whole thing just feels wrong to me,” Coulson said. “I don’t know what’s happening, but I don’t think that man Ward killed is the person we were looking for. He’s a dark horse. A blind.”

“That matches what I came to talk to you about,” Skye said. “Remember you asked me to look into these reports, the psych evaluations and other packets? Reina knew about your father, right?”

“What?”

“Coulson, everything that the Clairvoyant had, it’s all right here,” Skye said, handing over her tablet. “Every detail you could possibly want is right here waiting to be read. Including mission reports, briefs, stats, and other notes.”

Coulson looked at the tablet and then met Skye’s eyes. “The Clairvoyant isn’t psychic,” he said. “He’s an agent of SHIELD. Hawk.”

“On it.” Barton slipped out of the office and headed towards the front of the plane. He found May heading towards the cockpit. “Hey.”

“What’s wrong, Clint?” May asked, looking back at him.

“Things are going south fast,” Barton replied. “We need Fury, Mel.”

“He’s off-grid.”

“Not from you,” Barton said softly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” May said. “If I had a way to get in touch with the Director, then I would give it to you. But I don’t.”

Barton sighed. “Okay, Mel, sorry.” He turned and went downstairs towards Lola, and the weapons stash he kept there. “She won’t admit it.”’

“Get hidden and wait,” Coulson said. “Skye just came running in with the news that May has a secure line in the cockpit. I don’t know what’s happening on my plane, but I want answers, Clint. There have been too many secrets and lies for me to believe in SHIELD any more at this point.”

“I hear Fitz,” Barton said. He ducked in behind Lola.

“On my way,” Coulson said. He got to the hanger in time to hear two shots crack into the glass door to the lab. “Freeze.”

“Coulson,” May said, “this isn’t what you think it is.”

“Put it down, May,” Coulson said.

“It’s an icer, not a real one.”

“This one is,” Coulson said. “With real bullets. Put it down. Tell me who you’re reporting to.”

“I can’t. Not here.”

“The Hub,” Barton said softly from behind her. “I tracked one of your calls there, Mel. There’s a lot of agents at the Hub though, so I want to know who it is you were talking to about my husband.”

Her whole body drooped. “Fury,” she said. “But Fitz cut the line so I can’t call him now.”

“Why were you still reporting to Fury?” Coulson asked. “You told him that I know. I know what, Melinda?”

“You know about Tahiti, about what really happened to you,” May said. “I can’t say any more than that.”

Everyone but Fitz caught their balance as the plane suddenly turned around. Barton made a small mental note to work with Fitz on the balance beam if they ever got through the mess and out the other side.

“Why were you spying on me for Fury?” Coulson asked. “You said that you were on our side, May. You promised to help me find out the truth and now I find out that you were lying to me this whole time. What else have you been lying to me about? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” May said. “Phil, let me go up and read the instruments to see where the plane is going. We all need to take a deep breath and calm down.”

“Yes we do,” Coulson said. “Barton.”

Barton dodged left as Coulson fired, hitting May squarely in the chest. “I lied too,” he said softly. “Barton, help me get her secure upstairs. Fitz, you and Skye get on the computer and see what the hell is going on out there. I want answers and I want them now.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“She’s going to be pissed when she wakes up, Phil,” Barton commented, picking May up.

“No more pissed than I am right now. When we have her secure, you go forward and see if you can work out where the plane is going,” Coulson said. “I know it’s possible for the controls to be taken over, but I want to see if this is something May programmed in or not.”

“Yes, Sir, where will you be?”

Coulson opened the door to the cell and went in. “In the lab with the others. I want to see if they can find anything out for me.”

“What happened?” Ward asked, standing up.

“She’s a sleeper. I mean, the other kind of sleeper,” Coulson said, ignoring the snickers coming from Barton until they were on the other side of the door. “Really?”

“You are adorable when you get flustered like that,” Clint said. He kissed Coulson softly. “Go on, I’ll send a message to my team and then we’ll see where the plane is going.”

“Good luck.”

“You too.” Barton made his way forward, pulling out a cell phone that would like him directly to JARVIS, and was impossible to jam. “Hey J, you there?”

“Always, Sir.”

“It’s good to hear your voice, buddy. All of SHIELD’s lines are currently scrambled and we’re flying blind, in more ways than one,” Barton said. “What’s the status at the Tower?”

“Director Fury has collected both Natasha and Steve for a mission of unknown origin and location,” JARVIS said. “Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner are both remaining within the Tower until they are needed.”

Barton sighed. “Can you get a message to Nat for me, J?”

“I can attempt to do so, yes, Sir.”

“Send this then; SHIELD hacked, all compromised. Danger. Be on guard.. She’ll know what it means.”

“It has been sent, Sir. Is there anything else I can do to be of some aid? I feel rather helpless awaiting information.”

“Information. JARVIS, where are you with those level 12 folders?”

“Curiously enough, Sir, the encryption has changed and I’ve been able to open them. Would you like me to route you the information contained within?”

“Yes, awesome, thank you,” Barton said. “Huh, the Hub. What a surprise there. One other thing; I put one of our trackers on an agent that I’ve never liked and certainly never trusted. Can you upload the audio for me and send it over as soon as you can?”

“Of course, Sir, it would be my pleasure,” JARVIS said.

Barton grinned and then started swearing when the Bus was shaken by a plane flying past. “That’s Garrett,” he said. “And those are drones. Well, JARVIS, I think boredom has gone on holiday. Looks to me like someone is trying to start a war.”


	98. Chapter 98

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 4 of ?

“Well, I guess someone needs to find out if Cap’s been paying attention to all the new swear words Tony’s been teaching him,” Barton said when the word HYDRA came up on the computer monitor. “Because this is the one thing that he will not stand for.”

“None of us will stand for this,” Coulson said. “Where are we heading, Clint?”

“The Hub.”

“Confirmed, I read your trajectory when I was in my plane,” Garrett said. “Any chance of shorting that signal out and taking control back?”

“Not before we’re there,” Barton said.

Coulson and Skye glanced at each other. “Agent Hand,” Coulson said.

“What?” Garrett asked.

“The man that Ward shot, we don’t think he was the Clairvoyant,” Coulson said. “We think he was a front for an agent within SHIELD. Someone that uses information to appear to be psychic.”

“You think it’s Victoria Hand?” Garrett asked. “She’s a killjoy at parties, but to do something like this? Why’s she making her move now?”

“Because of the signal to step out into the light,” Skye said. 

Fitz started pacing. “Hydra was defeated during World War Two. Captain America had a huge role in doing that,” he said. “How is back now?”

“They picked their name for a reason,” Coulson said. “They always come back. They’ve been hiding within SHIELD for decades now. We’re heading right towards them with no idea what we’re walking into.”

Barton put his Avenger phone down on the table. “Then it’s a good thing your personal spy bugged Hand when she was on the plane last,” he said. “Send it through, J.”

“Sir.” There was a moment of silence and then Hand’s voice coming over the phone with instructions to kill everyone on the plane but Coulson. She wanted him.

“Okay, that’s creepy with a side of worrying,” Coulson said. “I don’t know why she still wants me. If she’s been into the information at SHIELD then she should know at least part of what was done to me.”

“Right up until the point that I point out there is no record of any of what happened to you at SHIELD,” Barton said. “Nat, Mel, and I spent months digging through as much information as we possibly could, searching for answers for you, Phil. We never found anything. Even your file, I don’t know how Fury assembled that, but it’s not on any server anywhere.”

“So she wants Coulson because she wants to know about Tahiti,” Skye said.

“That’s not going to happen,” Coulson said. “Fitz, Skye, start purging the plane. I’m going to get May out of the holding cell and force her to call Fury for us. We don’t have much time before we touch down. Make it hard for them to get onboard.”

“Coulson, we should let your specialist out. We need all the hands we can get,” Garrett said.

“Do it and fill him in,” Coulson said.  
*~*

“Barton,” Coulson barked when he pulled May into the medical area.

“They’re lousy shots, Sir,” Barton said, shutting the door behind them. “May.”

“I did not betray you,” May said. “I’ve been watching Phil to be certain that he didn’t get sick and that nothing in him changed. The same mission you knew about, Clint. I am still on your side.”

Coulson grabbed the scissors and cut May’s sleeve off. “Someone else answered the phone, Clint,” he said. “They told us that Fury is dead.”

“Impossible,” Barton said.

“That’s my thinking too,” Coulson said, “but we have no way to be certain. Hand is attempting a takeover along with HYDRA. We have to stop it.”

May winced when Coulson pulled the bullet out of her arm. “Take these off and let me help you, Phil,” she said. “I’m your best friend and I would never betray you. Deep in your heart, you know that.”

“I’ve trusted you this whole time, even knowing that you were in on the LMD lie along with Barton because you both came clean to me early on,” Coulson said. “You both promised to help me find out what happened to me, to help me find closure. I trusted you both, and only Barton has proven that he will be next to me and never lie to me about anything. You didn’t do that, May. You turned around and went behind my back to Director Fury again. How much did you tell him?”

“Nothing. I’ve been reporting that you’re fine,” May said. “Phil, all of this has been to make sure that you’re healthy. That you’re not having a reaction to what was done to you to bring you back to life.”

“That’s the part I’m having trouble with,” Clint said, arms crossed over his chest. “You knew about Tahiti from the beginning, May. You knew what happened to my husband and you lied to us both while we were trying to work it out. That’s why you insisted on staying when I told Phil about the LMD project and what I honestly thought I’d given the okay to do to him. That’s also how Fury found out so quickly that I told Phil about it. Because you turned right around and made a report back to him. We trusted you and you betrayed us.”

“We’re going to get Simmons and Trip out,” Coulson said. “Beyond that, I don’t know, but I’ll be damned if I let HYDRA ruin what I’ve worked to protect all these years. Captain America and Black Widow are off the grid. We need Iron Man and Hulk ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. Call Stark and tell him to get Thor back if he can. We need our heavy hitters ready for anything.”

May sighed. “Phil, please, take the cuffs off and let me help you,” she said.

“You can help, but the cuffs stay on until I’m positive that I’m not making the wrong decision again,” Coulson said. “I’ve made too many of those lately. Clint, now we know why the Clairvoyant couldn’t see the Avengers.”

“Yep; Fury doesn’t keep our information in the system here at SHIELD,” Barton said with a grin. “It also explains a bit more about why I’ve hated Agent Hand from the beginning.”

“You do have good instincts,” Coulson said. “Call Stark and get ready to move out. They don’t know you’re on the plane with us, Clint. They know that Garrett is here, but they don’t know about you.”

“I don’t want to bank on that one,” Barton said. “Phil, we’re back to trust again.”

Coulson nodded and finished tying off the bandage on May’s arm. “Right now, I trust you, Clint,” he said. “I’ll work with everyone else because I have to, but trust is beyond me for it all.”

“Skye?”

“Her too,” Coulson sighed. “It’s what we talked about.”

“Yep. I’ll be right back.” He looked directly into May’s eyes. “If you hurt him again, I will kill you.”

“I understand.”

May waited until the door was shut before she looked back at Coulson. “Phil, what did you two talk about?”

“The day we found you reporting back to the Hub on your secure line, we talked about trust,” Coulson said. “About who we could trust without question and who we would have to watch. We shouldn’t have had to have that conversation, May.”

“Sir, they’re getting ready to blow open the hatch,” Fitz said from the door. “The team is ready to move.”

Coulson nodded. “Then let’s go,” he said.


	99. Chapter 99

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 5 of ?

Barton trailed the group down the hall, eyes taking in everything. “PC, I’m heading up and in,” he said. “There’s too much here that doesn’t make sense.”

“Do it and be careful,” Coulson said. “Check in every fifteen minutes.”

“Done.”

Garrett looked back and wasn’t quick enough to see where Barton went. “Coulson, how do you get used to that?” he asked.

“What?”

“Him vanishing like that? It’s creepy.”

Coulson’s face didn’t change. “He’s top of his skill set,” he said. “Let’s move out, people. Skye, you and Ward know what you have to do. Get this place shut down. Garrett, May, let’s go and see if we can find our missing people.”  
*~*

The vents at the Hub weren’t on any plans. That was fairly common for SHIELD facilities, even if Barton quickly found and explored them at any base he went to. The Hub was one where he had to be careful because there were areas guarded by lasers and other nasty surprises to keep people out of secure areas. He pulled out his phone again and dialed the Tower. “Hey Tony, how easy would it be for you to hack a few lasers for me so I can get to where I need to be?”

“Clint, what the hell is going on out there?” Tony asked. “JARVIS is monitoring the news from around the world and I’m hearing reports of SHIELD agents killing people in the streets.”

“HYDRA is back, Tony, and we don’t know who is good and who isn’t right now,” Barton said. “I need to get past these lasers to find out if I’m right about an agent or not. Can you help or no?”

“Yeah, yeah, I can help, show me the panel,” Tony said. “HYDRA, really?”

“Really. Turns out they’ve been hiding within the walls of SHIELD all these years, and we don’t know how high or how far this goes,” Barton said. “The Avengers are going to be front line again soon, and we don’t know where two of ours are right now. We’ve also been told that Fury is dead.”

“Bullshit,” Tony said immediately. “Okay, you’re going to have to take the panel off of there and give me a look at the outside. There’s no way Fury is down without a fight, and we would have heard about that. The man proved it with Coulson. He knows how to fake a death. Okay, take out that blue switch on the bottom left.”

“Exactly, but right now Fury is off-grid and we have no way to reach him. If HYDRA went after Nick, he had to be close to something. Probably finding out the truth about him, but it’s hard to know for sure,” Barton said. He pulled the blue switch out of the panel and set it down. “What’s next?”

“Red center and yellow upper right,” Tony said. “In order, don’t try to take yellow out first. So we have three very important people off-grid. What do we do, Clint?”

“You and Bruce have to be ready to deploy at a moment’s notice,” Clint said. “Were you able to get in touch with Thor because I’m not going to be able to join you guys for a while. I have to stay with Phil. We’re not sure what’s going on, but it turns out May was informing on us. Okay, done.”

“Informing to who?”

“Nick. Yeah, I know, not horrible, but it also turns out that she knew the truth about Tahiti from the beginning and didn’t say a thing to any of us,” Barton said.

“Well, she’s not the one that gave the information to us about Tahiti to try and get Agent to kill me,” Tony said. “I was finally able to track that information down and got a name for you.”

“Who was it?”

“John Garrett.”

“To quote you, Son of a Bitch,” Barton said, sliding backwards. “Garrett’s an agent and I just left him alone with Phil, Fitz, and May. What else have you been able to find out for us, Tony?”

Stark sighed. “Put in your earpiece before you drop out of the vent, unless you’re planning to go the whole way in there.”

“It’s faster and no one knows that I’m at the Hub, so they won’t be paying attention to the vents,” Barton said. He started crawling down the metal tubing. “Talk to me, Stark. What else have you found?”

“JARVIS is still working on getting information from those level 12 folders, but some of those folders aren’t actually SHIELD’s property.”

“HYDRA,” Barton spat.

“Now that I have a name to put to it, yeah,” Tony agreed. “JARVIS, you’ve been listening to all of this. Plug the codes my father had from HYDRA into those files and see if it opens up the information we need. What I want to know is how the hell I’ve been digging around in SHIELD’s files for years and I’ve never once run across any of this information. Not even a hint of it at all.”

“They’ve been buried and working from the shadows. I doubt that they’ve put too much information into our computer systems,” Barton said. “I’m willing to bet my bow that Fury didn’t know about this until recently, and that’s why they only just made a move against him.”

“We need to figure out a way to know who we can trust and who we can’t,” Tony said. “You and Agent are a given, but what about the rest of your team?”

“Phil and I both trust Skye, for now. That’s not to say something won’t change, but right now she’s on the good list. FitzSimmons too, but that’s questionable depending on what we find out from the Hub. The Avengers.”

Tony managed a smile. “Yeah, we’re a given,” he said. “You guys trusted May. Those phone calls really changed that?”

“She was Phil’s best friend, helped train me when I first came to SHIELD,” Barton said softly. “We both thought that we could trust her with our lives, but now we just don’t know what to think.” He paused by a vent. “Damn it. I’m too late.”

Down below, Garrett and a squad of armed men were holding Coulson, May, and Fitz at gunpoint. “Tony, you’re our data expert and you’re in a position to help us out here,” Barton said softly. “Find out how deep this goes and call me directly. If I don’t answer, keep trying.”

“What are you going to do?” Tony asked.

“Wait for the opportune moment,” Barton replied.

Tony couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t know when the archer found the time to watch Pirates, but hoped Barton enjoyed it. “Be careful, Legolas.”

“You too.” Barton tucked the phone back into his vest and turned his attention to the group. He knew that Ward and Skye were on a mission to blow up the essential functions of the Hub. Barton just had to hold on and hope that Garrett wouldn’t start shooting before the bombs detonated.

He got lucky. When the lights went out, Barton came out of the vent and landed on the back of the man closest to him. The man hadn’t been expecting an attack from behind and was easy to kill. Between him, Coulson, and May they were able to take out all the soldiers except one, and Barton would have done anything to keep Fitz from having to kill a man.

Barton didn’t know what to think when Hand showed up with her goons and admitted they had been listening to everything and knew, now, that Coulson wasn’t HYDRA. Barton wanted to give the woman an arrow through the knee for ever thinking that his husband was a traitor, but a look from Coulson kept him in line. He didn’t leave Phil’s side again until Coulson decided it was time to go back to the plane and change into a clean suit.

The shower was too small for them to share, so Barton sat on the floor and watched Coulson wash. “I’m confused by so much, Phil,” he admitted softly.

“I know you are, I am too,” Coulson said. “Part of me wants to believe that this is all a bad dream brought on by my death. I know it isn’t though, and something Garrett said. He said that I’ve been serving HYDRA. That means, Clint, that our bosses, maybe even the WSC, are all members of HYDRA. We have to be certain of people before we do anything else.”

“Tony asked me who we can trust, Phil.”

“When did you talk to Stark?”

“In the vents, there are lasers to keep me out of the main control area,” Barton said. “Tony was helping me get them off-line when he mentioned he finally found out who fed JARVIS information on Tahiti in an attempt to get Tony killed. It was Garrett.”

Coulson nodded and turned off the water. “Hand me my towel, please,” he said. “I don’t know what to do about Melinda, Clint. I know she’s not HYDRA. I know that the same way I know you aren’t, but I can’t trust her again. Not like I have been.”

“Me neither. That she knew and kept it quiet. That’s unforgivable, Phil.”

“Hey, I’m still here and I’m fine,” Coulson said. “I survived and we survived, Clint. That’s what we’re going to keep doing. It’s going to be hard, but we’re going to survive. Now, while I’m getting dressed, go dig Thor’s present out of the vents and get it to work cleaning up the Bus. I want us back in the air as soon as possible. We don’t have a safe base right now.”

“The Tower.”

“Too predictable, I’m afraid, but we can stop there if you want to,” Coulson said. “We’ll get through this somehow, Clint.”

“Together.”


	100. Chapter 100

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 6 of ?

As highest ranking agent in the Hub, it fell to Coulson to start putting everything back together, to try and restore some sense of normal for the people that survived the invasion and massacre by HYDRA. It wasn’t easy, and having Barton immediately behind him scowling at anyone that dared to question him made things harder. “Clint.”

“Not stopping.”

“I’m not asking you to, but maybe try to smile instead of standing there with that sniper look on your face?”

Barton smiled and Coulson shook his head with a fond sight that turned to a chuckle. “Okay, that’s actually worse,” he said. “Forget I said anything. Have we heard anything from Hand?”

“No, and I’m worried about that. Ward seemed awful anxious to go along to the Fridge there, Sir.”

“I know. That was out of character for him,” Coulson said. “In a way, I don’t blame him for being angry that Garrett turned out to be HYDRA, turned out to be the one that attacked SHIELD, but on the other hand, think about their history for a moment.”

“I have, and I don’t like the picture I’m getting from it, Sir.”

“I don’t either. Have Tony do some checking for us,” Coulson said. “I’m due in the control room to monitor any news headlines and I want to see how many bases we currently hold.”

Barton nodded. “Okay, I’m going to be close,” he said.

“No one here is going to hurt me, Clint,” Coulson said. “We’re positive of that.”

“Not completely,” Barton said as he watched Coulson walk off down the hall. He pulled out his Avenger phone. “Tony.”

“Birdy, how is everything in the middle of spyland?” Tony asked.

“Tense and we don’t get a hell of a lot of good news,” Clint replied. “I’ve got another name for you to run through the system you’re building to see if there’s any hidden connections to HYDRA. Take a look at Grant Ward for me.”

“As in your specialist from Coulson’s new team, that Ward?”

“That’s the one. Coulson and I are starting to have questions that we don’t like and can’t get immediate answers to,” Clint said. He started walking towards the control room. “How’s everything going on your end of things?”

“Cap’s shown back up, but he’s got something on his mind that he won’t share right now,” Tony said. “He’s pissed though, I’ll tell you that much. Widow said it has something to do with a man named Bucky. I’m not that stupid, I grew up on stories of Captain America and the man that was always at his side. Bucky Barnes. I also thought he died.”

Barton snorted. “There’s a hell of a lot of that going around suddenly, isn’t there?” he asked. “I’ll mention it to Phil. What else?”

“Not a lot. You guys are now a terrorist organization, not a surprise given what HYDRA managed to do under your name,” Tony said. “We’re working as hard as we can from here to get the good press back out, but it’s going to take a while. Is there anything you need me to come and do for you?”

“No, but thank you,” Clint said. “We’ll be in touch. Let me know on those names as soon as you have something, will you?”

“Yeah, will do. Take care of your insane husband there, Birdy.”

“I will.” Barton put the phone back in the inner pocket of his vest and zipped the pocket closed. He walked into the control room and took up his position directly behind Coulson and leaned forward. “Cap saw Bucky Barnes.”

Coulson turned his head a little. “Did you talk to him?” 

“No, I heard this through Tony, who heard it from Nat,” Barton said. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but doesn’t it seem like a lot of people that are supposed to be dead suddenly aren’t, Sir?”

“Yes it does, and that concerns me,” Coulson said. “Skye, what’s the word?”

“Three,” she said, reading off a tablet in her hands.

“Here at the Hub?”

“No, three total,” she said.

Only Barton knew Coulson well enough to see his face fall a little at the words. Skye must have seen something too, because she immediately started talking again. She was interrupted by a transmission from the Department of Homeland Security.

Barton didn’t know the name, and it was pretty obvious that Coulson didn’t either, but both agents held their calm as the General did everything but threaten them out of hand. “This isn’t good,” Coulson said. “Barton, put word out that everyone here has the choice of remaining and talking with the government or running. Skye, tell Fitz to hurry on the Bus. We’re getting out of here.”  
*~*

When the only good news that came through was that they had internet on the Bus, Barton knew they were in trouble. He followed his husband closely through the plane, listening to each report, cataloguing things, and finally followed him up to the office. “Tony can help us out, Sir.”

“I hate to ask,” Coulson said. “Let me have your badge, Clint. You can also drop the sniper persona. I want my husband on the plane with me, not my sniper. I’ll let you know if I need you to shoot anyone for me.”

Clint smiled softly and moved to hug his husband. “I love you so much, Phil,” he said. “Everything that happened to you, I’m so glad I still have you with me.”

“I would never willingly leave you, and I’m sorry for all the crazy that you’ve been put through because of me,” Coulson said. “I really do wish that this was all a bad dream, that we could wake up and go in and have Nick yelling at us again. But we can’t. All we can do is hang on.”

“Phil, why is your pocket glowing?”

“Glowing?” Coulson pulled back just enough that he could look down and saw a soft amber light coming out of his pocket. “Is that…”

“Your badge,” Barton said.

“Pull yours.”

Barton pulled his badge out of the inner pocket he carried it in and flipped it open, finding the same glowing numbers on his that were on Coulson’s. “Phil.”

“It’s Nick,” Coulson said. He started for the stairs. “This is a message from Nick for us. He’s telling us that he does have a safe house. A weapon. Something.”

“What’s he talking about?” May asked, appearing out of the kitchen.

“Check your badges, all of you,” Coulson ordered. “Do any of you have glowing numbers around the bottom of the badge itself?”

“No,” Skye finally said. “What are you talking about, Coulson?”

“This.” Coulson and Barton held up their badges. “These badges were given to us by Nick Fury when we both joined up. It’s rare that Fury himself makes a badge presentation, so this is a message from him. This is important. We have to go there.”

“Has he ever done something like this before?” Fitz asked.

“No. Of course not. We’ve never been in a situation like this before,” Coulson replied. “May, set a course. This is where we’re going. We’re going to find out what it is that Fury wants us to find.”


	101. Chapter 101

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 7 of 8

Coulson was in his chair in his office, Barton’s head in his lap, just running his fingers through his husband’s hair thinking of what it was that Fury could possibly be trying to tell them. “He’s not going to be there himself,” Barton said softly. “He’s still dark. I think Cap knows something, but he won’t tell us over open coms.”

“There’s a reason he’s sending us there,” Coulson said. “He doesn’t know we’re together, but he wants us to be together. That’s why he did whatever it was he did to both of our badges.”

“We’re strong apart, together we’re twice that strong,” Barton said. “I called Nat. She said she didn’t get the same signal, but was willing to confirm Barnes. He’s in the wind, and Cap wants to go find him.”

“I don’t blame him. I know that Steve blames himself deeply for what happened to Bucky that day,” Coulson said. “He’s staying close to home though, right?”

“For now. I think if Barnes shows himself again, Cap will go, but he’s helping us with this crisis now,” Clint said. “Footsteps.”

“How are you feeling?” May asked from the doorway.

Coulson sighed. “Skip the part where you’re concerned and tell me why you’re here,” he said. “I’m trying to think.”

“I need you to surrender your weapon,” May said.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Barton murmured.

“Hush,” Coulson said fondly. “Do you really think that now is the time for you to be coming in here and asking me that question, May?”

“Phil, you’re not acting right,” May said. “Fury is dead. There’s no way he could send out any sort of secret communication or code to tell you to go anywhere. Did you even start to think that this could be HYDRA leading us right into a trap?”

“Let me up, Clint,” Coulson said. He waited until the archer was settled back on his knees before he stood up. “Yes, I thought of that. I also thought of this being a trap set up by Garrett to take out a last pocket of resistance. We have nowhere else to go, May. The Tower would work, but we would just lead HYDRA right to Tony Stark’s front door, and we can’t hold the Tower forever. We don’t have a choice in this.”

“There is always a choice,” May said. “You don’t know everything that was done to you, Phil. Fury wasn’t even the one calling the shots on your operation. There’s no way to know…”

“What did you just say?” Coulson demanded.

May shook her head and looked furious at herself. Barton pushed up off the floor and moved to stand next to Coulson. “I heard that too,” he said. “What the hell do you mean Fury wasn’t in charge of Tahiti, Melinda?”

“I just meant that we have to be careful,” May said, trying to backtrack.

“No, you’re not doing this. If not Fury, then who was in charge of the project?” Coulson demanded, voice rising on each word.

“I don’t know.”

“Let me guess, only Fury knows,” Coulson said, sarcasm leaking into his tone. “That excuse isn’t going to work forever, May. I’m not handing over my sidearm, my other weapons, or my husband. Get out of my office and get us to the location I have specified for us to touch down. That is an order.”

Barton wrapped his husband in a hug as soon as they were alone. “I know,” he whispered.

“Why her?” Coulson asked softly. “Why her?”

“Because it couldn’t be me,” Clint said. “Fury knows that I would never go for anything that would hurt you, so he went with his next option. Nat’s your friend, but she’s not as close to you as May was. She was the best choice to monitor you, but she could have told you the truth.”

“She thought I would snap and kill everyone if she did,” Coulson said. “It’s bad enough that I don’t know everything that happened to me, Clint, but to know that she not only knew, she kept it hidden from me while pretending to help. How do I know she didn’t destroy information to keep me from finding it?”

“One more thing for us to ask Fury when we finally see him,” Barton said. “We’re going to have a hike ahead of us when we get there.”

“I’m not forcing anyone to go along,” Coulson said. “They all think I’m crazy. That the stress of everything has driven me over the edge. That I’m HYDRA. I don’t even know what all they think any more. There’s going to be enough fuel left to get them to the next large city if they want to leave us. We’ll take food and cover with us and call Stark if we need a lift out.”

Clint nodded. “You know I’m right behind you, even if this is walking right into a trap,” he said. He leaned back and caught Phil’s lips with his own. “I love you.”  
*~*

The first thing Barton did when they landed was check to see if he had a signal on his Avengers phone. “Green light,” he said, tucking it away again.

Coulson nodded. “Coming with me is not required,” he said, looking back at the members of his team. “I believe there is something here that Director Fury wants me to find. Wants Agent Barton and me to find, and we are going to go find it. We have enough supplies to last us for two days, and that will be long enough for our contact to reach us with airlift out. If you choose to stay, you can take the plane and go. I won’t stop you.”

He turned and walked down the ramp, Clint immediately behind him. May rolled her eyes, pulled up her hood and followed. Skye and Fitz were next, followed by Simmons and Trip. None of them were sure exactly what was waiting for them out in the frozen land they’d come to, but they all were going, if only to save Coulson from himself in the end.

“Full group,” Clint said softly as they walked. “I’m impressed.”

“I’m not surprised. May will want to take my weapons when it turns out there’s nothing there. Trip will help her because he thinks that I’m insane,” Coulson said. “Skye still believes in me, and Fitz does as well, to a point. Simmons is unsure, and doesn’t want to treat the team like it’s a team anymore, but rather a democracy. She also doesn’t want to be the only one on the Bus while the rest of us are out here. They’re not here because they believe, Clint. They’re here to see me fail.”

“That might be a touch paranoid there, Phil,” Barton said. 

“Maybe, but I think it’s also realistic in some ways,” Coulson said. “Any chance of you hunting down some supper for us while we’re on this hike?”

Barton pulled his bow and nocked an arrow in one smooth motion, causing several of the agents behind them to squeak. “Depends on how quiet this group can be,” he said with a grin.  
*~*

When the group arrived at the clearing, Clint had two rabbits and a grouse in his sack. It would be enough to feed the group for the night if what Fury wanted them to find wasn’t there immediately upon their arrival. Skye had tried to talk with him about his bow and asking to learn to shoot, but he told her it wasn’t the right time to be talking about it. “You need to learn your gun first, Skye,” he said softly, eyes scanning the forest for movement. “Then, when you find your center and don’t wobble as badly as you do now, come find me again. I’m not telling you never. I’m telling you that you need to learn in the correct order.”

“Like you did, Clint?” Coulson asked with a small smile.

“Shut up, Sir,” Clint grinned. “Is that our clearing?”

“Yes it is.” Coulson hurried through the trees and out into the clearing. “Okay, it has to be here somewhere. Everyone spread out and start looking.”

Barton was the one that noticed no one moving and sighed. “You guys walked all this way for the fun of it?” he asked. “If I find out one of you came here just to have a laugh at my husband’s expense, then you will find out how many non-deadly points there are for arrows on your body. Keep in mind that I never miss.”

“It’s here,” Coulson said, looking around. “It has to be here because if it’s not here, then it all was for nothing.” He looked down at his badge. “It can’t be all for nothing.”

Clint wrapped his husband in a loose hug from behind. “It’s not for nothing, Phil,” he said. “Fury wouldn’t lie to you about this. Not now. Not like this. He sent us the same message, he wants us here for some reason. Let’s find out what it is.”

“You still believe?”

“Hey, I believe in you and I believe in SHIELD,” Barton said. “HYDRA used us all these years to stay alive the same way a tick does on a host body. We are going to find the right head and we’re going to chop it off and kill this threat dead. That quest starts here. Today. In this clearing when we find the message that Fury left for us.”

“Thank you.” Coulson said. He stepped out of his husband’s arms and turned around to face his team. “My faith in SHIELD has wavered, but I am known as Fury’s good eye. I am never giving that title up because Nick Fury is alive and he will reappear to do battle with us.”

“So where is this message?” Trip asked. “All I see is an empty field covered in snow.” He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it towards the trees. Everyone hit the ground when the machine gun appeared and started shooting.


	102. Chapter 102

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 8 of 8 for 09/28/14
> 
>  
> 
> I'm back to work tomorrow. I'll do my best to update, but it all depends on how much energy I have after shift. Monday's tend to be horrible.

“That’s got Nick Fury written all over it,” Barton commented from where he landed with Coulson behind a large rock. “What do you think, Sir?”

“Nobody move,” May yelled. “This could be HYDRA.”

“We have to stop seeing HYDRA around every corner,” Coulson said. “Clint, you trust me. Come on.” He took his husband’s hand and stood up, moving them both directly in the line of fire from the machine gun and held out their hands.

“State your name,” the gun said.

“I’m Phil Coulson and this is Clint Barton, Agents of SHIELD,” Coulson said.

The machine gun pulled back and vanished. “Welcome Agents, we’ve been expecting you.”

The team came out into the clearing slowly, trying to stay hidden from the gun in case it decided that it wanted to target any of them, and several of them jumped when the side of the cliff opened up to reveal a ramp. Coulson and Barton looked at each other, shrugged, and headed down into the complex where they were met by a man in a suit.

“Welcome, all of you, welcome,” the man said. “Agent Coulson, Agent Barton, it’s an honor to meet you at last. Director Fury asked me to get things ready for you.”

“Is he here?” Coulson asked.

“Director Fury never made it out of D.C., Agent Coulson,” the man said. “Please, all of you, come in this way. You must be hungry and want to get warm. Please, come in.”

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” Barton asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my manners are gone in the excitement of meeting you both. I’m Agent Eric Koenig, level 6,” Eric said, holding up the card around his neck. “Please, this way. This is the mess and you all can get something to eat in here.”

Barton held up the game bag. “Do you like rabbit?” he asked with a grin.

“Oh, you hunt, thank you, that’ll go a long way to breaking up the prepared meals we have here,” Eric said. “If you can clean them, I’m sure I can work out a way to cook them for us.”

“I’ll take care of it,” May said, taking the game bag. It was pretty obvious that she didn’t trust the man in front of them and wanted to have something to eat that she prepared.

“Thank you, Agent May,” Eric said. “Agents Coulson and Barton, can I talk with you privately, please?”

“Of course,” Coulson said. “Everyone, make yourselves at home, I guess. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

“Yes, please, help yourselves to anything you can find in here. This way, Agents.” Eric led the way across the hall and into a secure office, shutting the door behind them. “I’m sorry, but your team hasn’t been vetted. There’s things you need to know. The Fridge has fallen.”

“Fallen?” Coulson asked. “We had a team in route with a prisoner. When did it fall?”

“About an hour before you got here,” Eric said. “I don’t have any reports though. When was the last time you spoke with your team?”

“It was Agent Hand in charge of the transport,” Coulson said. “I haven’t heard anything in a couple of days. Is there a way that we can find out what happened to our team?”

Eric shook his head. “Not from here, no.”

“There’s the secure phone Hand gave us, Phil.”

“True, go have Skye call and find out what happened,” Coulson said.

“Wait a second, please, Agent Barton,” Eric said, holding up a hand to stop him. “You need to hear this too. Director Fury isn’t dead.”

“You told us he was.”

“I told your team he was. They haven’t been cleared by the Director to know. Captain America, the two of you, and Maria Hill are the only other ones that can know,” Eric said. “Please, I know you trust your team, but this information is beyond top secret. HYDRA has already made three attempts on the Director’s life. The only reason they aren’t hunting him down is because he’s been able to play dead.”

Barton and Coulson exchanged a look and both nodded. “We’ll keep it quiet for now, but I don’t like lying to my team,” Coulson said. “Clint, go have Skye make the call. I want to know what’s happening out there.”

“I want to touch base with Iron Man too,” Barton said. “That okay, Eric? I won’t tell him where we are.”

“That’s fine, yes, that’s fine,” Eric said. “The Avengers are sort of a special case, and I didn’t realize you were all more involved in this.”

Barton nodded and left the room, heading back to the mess. He told Skye to call Hand or Ward and find out what the hell was going on with them, and then headed back out into the hall to make his own call. “Tony.”

“Hey, there you are. I got worried when your plane vanished off radar,” Tony said. “Everything okay with you and Agent?”

“As good as it can be, given what’s happened,” Barton said. “Both Phil and I have been with SHIELD a long time, and seeing it all crumble around us like this, it’s hitting us hard. We’re in a secure base that belongs to SHIELD, or at least it’s secure until we bring one member of our team back in.”

“You want to know what all I found on Ward,” Tony said. “There’s not a lot to be found. He owes his life to Garrett and we both know what that can do to a person, Clint. Just because I’m not seeing anything here doesn’t mean that he hasn’t thrown in with HYDRA.”

Barton nodded. “He’s put my hackles up since day one, but so did Hand and she ended up being one of the good guys,” he said. “I won’t say she’s not an idiot for thinking that Phil and I are HYDRA, but I guess I can sort of understand her reasoning. Phil’s been searching for answers and we’ve both been pushing at Fury pretty bad since you found that video online.”

“So there’s no way to know, is there?”

“Just instincts honed over years of doing this,” Barton said. “What else are you turning up in the files?”

“Bits and pieces. You know that the Fridge, and what is it with SHIELD and these name, has fallen, right?”

“Yep, that’s what brought this conversation about,” Barton said. “We need to know how much trouble we’re in. Phil’s told Ward a lot of stuff over the past year. Stuff that it’s fine for an agent to know, but not so much for a member of HYDRA to know.”

“I’ll keep digging,” Tony said. “Cap is here and wants to talk with you.”

“Sure, put him on.”

“Clint? You and Phil are both okay?” Steve asked a minute later.

“Okay is relative, but we’re not physically injured,” Clint replied. “I heard about Barnes. It was really him?”

“As far as I can tell, yes, but he’d been brain-washed badly,” Steve said. “I’m going to find him, Clint. I don’t know how or when, but he saved me so many times when we were young, it’s my turn to return the favor. You know about Fury?”

“We just found out for certain,” Barton said. “We’re in some sort of hidden mountain base in Canada with a guy named Eric. He told us.”

Steve laughed. “Eric’s okay, just lonely,” he said. “He’ll settle down a little, or he should, once he’s used to having you guys there. What’s the plan now?”

“Now we try to put down a snake that should have died decades ago,” Clint said. “One that you gave your life for once, Cap. One that should never have been able to come back like this. We find the head; John Garrett, and we make him pay for what he’s done to SHIELD.”

“You let us know before you head into that battle and the rest of the Avengers will be right behind you,” Steve said. “What is it Tony says? If we can’t save the Earth, you can be darn well sure we’ll avenge it?”

Clint couldn’t help it. He started laughing. “Close enough, Cap,” he said. “Close enough.”


	103. Chapter 103

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the one. I haven't had time to sit and watch anything this past week. Full moon + hospital = insanity and exhausted security.

"So, Eric," Clint said when he was back in the secure command hub with his husband, "what's your vent network look like here?"

"We don't have one big enough for a human to enter into," Eric replied. "Director Fury warned me that you prefer to check out any network you can, but the one here was adjusted for size because we're under a mountain and we really don't want anything to indicate that we're here. What was the word from your people?"

"Hand is dead, killed trying to hold the Fridge against HYDRA," Clint said. "Ward is apparently pretty beat up, but in one piece. Skye told him how to get here."

Coulson looked over. "What did Tony have to say, Clint?"

"He hasn't been able to find anything so far, but he'll keep looking," Barton said. "I spoke with Cap too. He confirmed Bucky, but said he's in the wind. Thor is there and they're all just waiting for word of where they're needed."

"Do the two of you suspect that one of your team, Agent Coulson, is HYDRA?" Eric asked.

"We're not sure what to think. Grant Ward was rescued and owes his life to John Garrett, the man that's been revealed as being at the head of this HYDRA revival," Coulson replied. "During his time on my team, Ward has shown that he can adapt to any situation, though he works best alone or in a lead position. It was just how eager he was to go along and help with the escort to the Fridge that got me thinking."

Eric nodded. "It may well be time to keep our friends close but our enemies closer, Agent Coulson. We can let Agent Ward in here, he's part of your team and cleared to come in, but we have our suspicions. We can watch and evaluate while he is here," he said. "Then, if it becomes necessary, there are three highly ranked SHIELD specialists here that can help eliminate him."

"Two," Coulson said. "Agent Melinda May has been lying to me for too long for me to trust her with anything like this. She was also sleeping with Ward, and it's possible that she's compromised. I would have to see her confront him to be certain if she is or not, and right now, I'm not going to let that happen. The Hawk is here, and he can handle anything we need."

Barton grinned, spun a chair around and sat down. "You give the word, boss, and Ward's head will be on a platter for you."

"That's a waste of a good platter and you know that, Agent Barton," Coulson said dryly. He knew what his husband was trying to do and appreciated it. "I would rather have his head no longer in contact with his body, and his heart out and burned to ensure that he will no longer be a threat to SHIELD or ourselves."

"Director Fury cautioned me about your sense of humor, Agent Coulson. That was an example of it there, wasn't it?" Eric asked.

"Nope, he's completely serious," Barton said. "Hell, Coulson, I'll add in the arms and legs, just to be extra certain. We bury him in enough graves, there's no bringing him back to life no matter what they try."

"On a more serious note, Clint; I'm worried about my sister," Coulson said. "I've spoken about her a bit with Ward and the others. I want to make sure that she's safe and no one gets it in their head to go after her to get to me. I'm one of the last pockets of resistance here with my team, though they all feel like strangers. We're a threat to HYDRA, and it's one they won't ignore long. Especially once they learn about this base."

"Do you want to go out and check on her? Maybe bring her into a safe house for a bit?" Clint asked. "Audrey is a weak point for you, but not one a lot of people know about. Didn't you start rumors that you were dating her or something?"

Coulson glared at him. "I never once said that I was dating my sister, Clint, and you know it, so stop trying to make Eric sick," he said. "I said that I was in love with a master with their instrument, and a couple of higher-ranking agents found out there's a woman in my life that plays a cello. It's hardly my fault that they leapt to conclusions without a sound basis to the information. I was talking about you with your bow."

"Knew you loved me for a reason, boss," Barton said.

"We'll have to check your team to be certain that there's no one loyal to HYRDA in our base," Eric said. "I have a way we can do that, but after those tests are over, you need to be certain your sister is safe, yes. If HYDRA knows about her, Agent Coulson, then it might already be too late."

"This is why I never wanted my family involved in what I do," Coulson said. "Let's get to your tests as soon as Ward arrives. I need to be certain that my sister is safe before we start any major wars with HYDRA. There's been enough death involved in this sudden uprising. I'm going to do my best to stop the killing from this point on. Except one. John Garrett gets an arrow through the eye. Do you understand me, Hawk?"

"Yes, Sir," Barton said. "One through the eye, and maybe one through the heart just to be certain. The problem with the HYDRA is that the heads regrow when you kill one."

"Then we need to find a way to stop them sprouting," Coulson said. "HYDRA is not going to win this war, Clint. I don't care what we have to do to stop them, they do not win. They've already destroyed the good that SHIELD has done since the War. They are not going to take that glory away forever. We will win it back."

Barton nodded. "You give the orders and I follow, boss," he said. "Just like old times."


	104. Chapter 104

Clint and Coulson sat apart from the team to eat that night. Coulson had his back to everyone, but he could feel eyes on him the whole time. “Who?” he asked softly.

“May.”

“I want to know what she knows, Clint,” Coulson said. “I want to know what she saw, what happened to me, and what the hell it is that Fury has told her.”

“You know she’s never going to tell us, right?”

“Not willingly, no. She’s still loyal to Fury, she’s proved that over and over again, and I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to trust her again. I’m like you, Clint, it takes me a long time to trust anyone, and once that trust is gone, it’s gone forever.”

Barton nodded. “She’s been your best friend for a long time, Phil,” he said. “Is it possible that everything she did and is still doing was because of that?”

“Playing devil’s advocate again?”

“It’s a fair question, Sir.”

Coulson looked up at that, and found Skye standing next to them. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I just don’t know how to handle everything that’s happened, AC,” she said, sitting down with them. “I mean, since you guys pulled me out of my van and I was dumped into this crazy world, it seems like every time I get a handle on something, I figure something out, or make a slot for it in my mind, something else happens and everything changes and then I’m just as lost again.”

“The most important thing is to hang onto what you believe, Skye,” Coulson said. 

“That’s just it, I don’t even know what I believe anymore.”

Barton snorted. “Seems to me you believe in the inner good in everyone,” he said. “That’s not a common gift for people to have there, Skye. It’ll be hard, but don’t let the problems around you have an impact on that.”

“But HYDRA has been hiding in SHEILD for years, since the end of the Second World War, and people we thought were good were really bad,” Skye said. “If I believe in the inner good in everyone, that means I have to try and look for the inner good in people that worked with the Nazis, and carried it farther than Hitler every tried to.”

“You have a good heart, Skye, and you care about people,” Coulson said. “Whether they want you to or not. Let the bad guys be bad guys while you help the good guys get the world back in order.”

“What can we do to fix this problem, AC?” Skye asked. “We’re just a small team and we’re up against we don’t know how many hundreds of people. How do we even make a start on this?”

“A small team that has a team of super beings on speed-dial for help,” Coulson pointed out. “The Avengers are with us, and they’ll help us with any fight we come up against. Is that as good as having hundreds of people we could call on for help? Of course it’s not, but sometimes you don’t want to have hundreds of people around. War is horrible on so many levels, but one of the worst parts of it are the innocents that are hurt and killed because they are part of the hundreds of people around. Some of them are soldiers, yes, but they didn’t ask to be there. They were put there by their government and just want to get home again. They don’t always make it.”

“Is that really what we’re dealing with, Phil? A war?”

Barton shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he said. “We just need to keep the innocents out of the line of fire this time around.”

“What are you even talking about?” Skye asked.

“You haven’t seen the look Cap gets when the innocents are in the middle of a battle,” Clint replied, glancing over at Coulson. “He looks like a big, sad puppy, and it sort of makes you want to go and curl up in a corner until he looks happy again. If we can get Garrett to a place where I have a clear shot at him, so many of our problems will vanish in one shot.”

“You’d kill him? Just like that?”

“I’m a sniper, Skye. Killing is what I do. Most of the time I’m killing the bad guys, but there are times when the good guy has to be the one killed,” Barton said. “I’m just lucky I haven’t had to take that shot yet.”

“If I have my way, you never will,” Coulson said. “Skye, the whole team, Clint and myself included, will be undergoing a loyalty test in the morning. Eric will be giving it to us, and I’m going to stand by the results of the test no matter what they show. Will you be able to forgive me if that means I have to order Clint to kill one of your new family?”

Skye looked down at the table. “Would he be killing someone good?” she finally asked.

“The only way I’ll be killing for the recent future is if someone is HYDRA, or is working for them,” Clint said. “I don’t kill for any sort of thrill, Skye. I kill because it’s what I do. It was this or killing for money, and I’d rather not give up my morals.”

“Again,” Coulson said. 

“We promised never to talk about Moscow again,” Barton said, glaring across the table at Coulson.

“I know, and I shouldn’t joke about it. Sorry, Clint. I think I need to sleep, to try and get used to the idea of one of my best friends being dead,” Coulson said.

“Best friends?” Skye asked.

Coulson nodded. “I’ve known Nick Fury for a long time,” he said. “We had some blow-up fights, but at the end, we were always friends. I didn’t even get to tell him good-bye before everything blew up because of all the problems I’ve been having lately. I need to be able to come to terms with that.”

“Come on, we’ll go ask Eric where we’re supposed to bunk down,” Clint said. “The tests are tomorrow and I think we all need to be well-rested for that.”

“Do you have any idea what it is he’s going to do to us?” Skye asked.

“Not a clue,” Coulson replied. “It will be something that will test you to the very edge of your soul, but it will also show us who is loyal and who is not. That’s something I need to know before we leave this mountain to take on Garrett.”

Barton grinned. “Get him in the open, boss, and let me handle the rest,” he said.


	105. Chapter 105

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm curious if there are detailed episode summaries online somewhere? I really do not have time to watch TV right now, but would like to finish this story out. If anyone knows and could link me up, it would be much appreciated. :)

“We’re clear,” Barton said.

“For now,” Coulson sighed, sitting down on the bed. “Once Ward gets here, Clint, I don’t know what’s going to happen. He and May were together, might still be and I just haven’t caught anything recently. Skye idolizes Ward, even if she doesn’t seem to realize it. Hell, even FitzSimmons adore him. What’s going to do to them when they find out he’s evil?”

Barton moved onto the bed behind Coulson and started rubbing his shoulders. “The kids have to grow up at some point, Phil,” he said softly. “I know you’ve tried your best to keep them safe, to keep them from finding out how truly dark the world can be, but maybe it’s time to let them spread their wings and fly.”

“Skye’s the one I’m the most concerned about. Not just because of what I did to her, but what I’ve found out about her past,” Coulson said. “There’s some sort of power hidden within that sweet, loyal girl, Clint, and that power is deadly. How do we know that this betrayal isn’t going to be enough to push her over the edge and that power coming back full force?”

“Because she’s a very strong woman, one that adapts far faster than a lot of agents I’ve met,” Barton said. “How are we supposed to make contact with anyone other that my team for a while, Phil? We can’t suspect everyone, no matter how much sense that makes.”

“I think the only thing we can do is trust for contact to be made with us,” Coulson said. He winced. “Tender, Clint.”

“I won’t even ask how you got into such bad shape,” Barton said. “Lie down, let me get your back. The last thing I need is you with a migraine on a day when your life depends of a test.”

Coulson snorted. “Eric is in awe of both of us, Clint,” he said. “I think if we really pushed, he would leave us out of the tests.”

“Yeah, but then everyone would be wondering if we were Hydra or not,” Barton said. He straddled his husband’s waist and started a gentle massage. “Because getting out of this sort of test is exactly what a Hydra agent would do.”

“Which is something we’re going to have to take into consideration when we go for the test in the morning,” Coulson said. “See if anyone is reluctant to take the test, or more reluctant than they should be for everything that’s happening around us.”

“You know me, boss. I’ll have eyes on everything.”

“You always do. Clint, do you think Tony and maybe Pepper would be willing to go and check on Audrey for me? I’m really scared that Ward will have told Garrett about her and she’s in danger,” Coulson said. “I don’t think we’re going to be in time to save her unless we do something now.”

“Sure, let me call him,” Barton said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and put it on the pillow next to Coulson’s head. “Hey, Stark.”

“Why did you turn on video for this, Birdy? I did not need to see you and Agent in bed together,” Tony said with a wince. “I am never going to get that out of my head, no matter how hard I try.”

“Put a lid on it, Stark, we’re both still dressed,” Barton said with a grin. “There’s some things no one but me get to see, and Phil naked is one of them.”

“TMI! TMI! JARVIS, get the alcohol ready. I’m coming in hot,” Tony said, sticking his fingers in his ears.

Coulson couldn’t help the fond snort that escaped. That Stark was always the same no matter what was remarkably comforting. “Tony, I have a favor to ask,” he said.

“What’s up? Need something built? Blown up? You name it and I’ll do it.”

“Could you take Pepper and go to Portland for me?” Coulson asked. “My baby sister lives there, plays the Cello, and I’m worried she’s a target to get back at me.”

Tony frowned for a minute. “So, wait, when Pepper was talking to you about the Celloist, that was a real person?” he asked. “I thought that was your codename for the Hawk or something kinky like that.”

“It’s safer to let people think that, but Audrey is real and I’ve spoken about her a few times,” Coulson said. “Around Ward.”

“Oh, shit. You think Hydra is going after her,” Tony said. “Yeah, give me her contact information. She’ll be safe before you can yell at me for blowing up a floor of the Tower.”

“I don’t want to know. I’ve got enough to deal with right now,” Coulson said. “Barton will send you the information, Tony. Thank you for doing this. I promised our mom I would always take care of Audrey, and I don’t want to fail now.”

“Family is important,” Tony said. “Birdy, route the direction to JARVIS. I’m going to get in the air and get out there now. I’ll bring her back to the Tower, Agent. It’s probably one of the safest places right now.”

“Thanks, Tony,” Coulson said. “I’ll be able to handle the problems a little better knowing that she’s safe. We’re walking into a war none of us saw coming, and SHIELD is taking too many hits right now. We need to change that.”

Tony grinned. “Cap’s got a few ideas about that, Agent. I’ll let the two of you talk about it while I’m in the air,” he said. “Directions, Birdy.”

“On their way,” Barton said. “Thanks, Stark.”

“I’ll call when I have her safe,” Tony said. He ended the call before either of them was able to say anything.

Barton picked up the phone and typed some information in, sending it along to JARVIS. “Now we just have the tests to worry about, and how many heads we’ve got to cut off before this snake is gone for good.”

“You are not going out there with a sword,” Coulson said. He rolled onto his side and looked up at his husband. “I know for a fact you have one, so do not even try to deny it.”

“Aw, boss, you never let me do anything fun,” Barton said, pouting.

“Be good and I’ll let you shoot some of the new weapons we’ve got hidden away,” Coulson said.

“I saw the video from that, you know. ‘Even I don’t know what it does’? Sometimes, Phil, you play bland to damn good.”

“This time, Clint, I know what they do,” Coulson said with a smirk.


	106. Chapter 106

Barton was awake and in the canteen area the next morning when Ward walked in. The other agent paused when he saw that Barton was sharpening a very large sword. “Uhm, Agent Barton, what are you doing?” he asked.

“We’re fighting a giant snake with more heads than I want to count,” Barton said, looking up with a grin. “I’m going to cut a few of those heads off and make sure they don’t regrow. That includes anyone inside of SHIELD that turns out to be a HYDRA agent. I think it’s time to give new meaning to one of Director Fury’s favorite threats, don’t you?”

“Heads will not roll, Hawkeye, stop terrifying the team,” Coulson said, pushing in past Ward.

“You’re no fun, Sir,” Barton said, pouting.

“What I want to know is how you got that here when I would swear that you left it back on the Bus,” Coulson said, sitting down next to his husband. “You do not have a collapsible sword, do you?”

“How would that even be practical, Sir?” Barton asked, going back to his sharpening. “The thing would buckle every time you made a hit on your opponent and you would never be able to get in a clean strike. You know it’s all in the arms with a weapon like this.”

FitzSimmons and Skye walked in next and paused next to Ward when they saw the large sword. “AC, what’s Hawkeye doing with that?” Skye finally managed to ask.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Coulson said. “Everyone come over here and sit down. Ward, tell us again what happened to you.”

“It’s just like I told you when I got here yesterday. We were just off the plane when a HYDRA team appeared and attacked us and the FRIDGE,” Ward said. “There weren’t enough of us to stop them from breaking it open, but I managed to kill Garrett before I was knocked out. Luckily I was able to hang onto this.” He held up the thumb drive. “We should probably have this backed up somewhere, Coulson.”

“In good time,” Coulson said. “Skye, get to work and find out which prisoners were at the FRIDGE. I also want to know what was stored there, but that’s secondary to knowing who is out and needs to be recaptured.”

“You got it,” Skye said.

“Good. Barton, get in touch with Captain America for me,” Coulson said. “Let him know our status, that we’re going to be undergoing Eric’s test this morning and then we’ll be getting ready to move out and start fighting back.”

Barton sketched a salute. “You got it, boss,” he said. He stood up and headed for the door with the sword over his shoulder. “Call me when test time comes. I don’t want to miss it.”

“What test is this, Sir?” Ward asked.

“It’s a test of our loyalty to SHIELD and Director Fury,” Coulson replied. “I know that the Director died in the recent battle, but a true agent’s loyalty will not falter because of death.”

May flinched when she heard that sentence, but went over to the kitchen and started to look for something to eat. “What do you want us to do, Sir?” Simmons asked.

“Get ready to start working with Eric on finding out where our agents are and who needs help,” Coulson said. “We’re not going to be able to stay here forever, but I don’t want us moving until we have a firm goal in mind. We take the test today and then we start worrying about what we do next. Everyone get something to eat. I’m going to go see what our time-frame is.”

Skye brought Ward some breakfast so he wouldn’t have to get up. “How’s your pain level?” she asked, opening up her laptop. “You look bad.”

“I’ve had worse, honestly,” Ward said. “There are times when it’s not possible to get out of an op without everything going sideways on you. It’s one reason we train like we do, so we can learn to roll with the punches, so to speak.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do that,” Skye admitted. She started to type in her password. “I know that I can learn, but what do I lose when I do, Ward? What’s lost to be able to go through what you do and come out it the other side?”

“Nothing,” Ward said. “The only thing you do is get stronger for what you’re able to do. You don’t lose anything.”

Skye glanced over at May and shook her head. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” she said softly.  
*~*

“Tony’s called,” Barton said when Coulson joined him in the control room. “They’re on the ground and they have Audrey. He also has eyes on an unknown super-being.”

“Probably one of the ones that escaped the deep chill,” Eric said, working on one of his many computers. “Until your team is proven, Agent Coulson, I can’t let any of them out of here, no matter what you ask.”

“I don’t want you to, Eric, so don’t worry about that,” Coulson said. “Hawk, tell Stark to disengage and we’ll deal with the unknown as soon as we can. I don’t want Audrey in any danger right now.”

“You got it,” Barton said, pulling out his phone.

Eric looked back at Coulson. “How do you want to do this, Sir?” he asked.

“Take us in groups, Eric,” Coulson said. “I know that’s not what you were planning, but I want the others to see how their team mates do on this test of yours.”

“Do you want to pick the groups, Sir?”

Coulson shook his head. “Just have me in one and the Hawk in the other,” he said. “We both know that we don’t have to do this, but we want the team to be certain of us both. They don’t believe the word of a man they believe to be dead.”

“None of them trust Director Fury?” Eric asked, eyes wide.

“Not a one of them,” Coulson said with a sigh. “The Hawk and I do, as much as anyone can trust Fury, but the rest of the team doesn’t. It’s a problem.”

“One we’ll work to fix,” Barton said. “Tony’s got his plane in the air. Audrey is with him and safe. Do you want to talk to her?”

“Yeah,” Coulson said, face softening a little. He walked over and leaned over Barton’s shoulder. “Hey, Sis.”

“Phil, I know there’s a lot you can’t tell me, but you should have told me that you know Tony Stark,” Audrey said. “Do you know what a disaster he caused walking into practice today?”

Coulson grinned. “I’m sure he did, Sis. Sorry I didn’t mention it before, but I’ve been busy,” he said. “I’ll come to see you as soon as I can, okay?”

“Sure, sure, secret agent man,” Audrey said with a smile. “You just take care of yourself out there. I don’t want to lose you too.”

“You won’t,” Coulson said. “I promised you that a long time ago. Enjoy your holiday in New York. Stark is going to make sure you get the best of everything for me.”

“Better than a safe house, I suppose, even if this is one,” Audrey said. “It’ll give me some time to work on a new piece I’m trying to write. He says there’s lots of space in this Tower of his and I’m to have a whole floor to myself.”

“He’s going to let you stay in my rooms,” Coulson said. “Well, mine and the Hawk’s, so be careful opening things. You know his nesting tendencies.”

“All too well,” Audrey said. “Phil, be careful. I know I can’t know what’s going on, but I also know you wouldn’t be involved if it wasn’t serious and deadly to someone. Don’t let it be you.”

“I won’t, Sis,” Coulson said. “I’ll come back safe, I promise you that. Talk to you soon, okay?”

“Sure,” Audrey said. “Bye, Clint.”

“Later, little bird,” Barton said with a fond smile.

Coulson looked over at Eric. “Let’s get this test started,” he said.


	107. Chapter 107

Eric walked into the canteen area with a tablet in his hand. “Agent Coulson says that it’s time for the tests to begin,” he said. “I’ve divided the team into two groups, even though the detector itself will only hold one of you at a time. I had planned for everyone to be alone in the room while undergoing this test, but I believe that groups will work better because you will be able to regain some trust in each other that seems to be missing.”

“Why do we even have to do this?” Skye asked, looking up from her laptop. “I mean, none of us are HYDRA, so why do we even have to go through a test like this?”

“Even Captain America underwent this test,” Eric said. “And Agent Romanov, when the HYDRA links were revealed. It is the orders of the Director of SHIELD, even after his death, that his agents undergo a loyalty test to be certain that no one is able to hide within SHIELD any longer.”

“Skye, Clint and I are doing to be doing this too,” Coulson said from behind Eric. “Director Fury left instructions that have to be followed, and the sooner we do this, the sooner we can get back to our primary task; eliminating every head HYDRA has left.”

Coulson didn’t flinch when the sword appeared next to his head. “Just say the word, boss,” Hawkeye said.

“Go put that sword away before you hurt someone,” Coulson said with a sigh.

“It’s a sword, boss, it’s supposed to hurt people,” Barton said.

“Barton…”

“I’m going, I’m going. Eric, which group am I assigned to?” Barton asked.

“The second group, Agent Barton,” Eric replied. “I will have the session hooked into the monitors here in the canteen so those not in the first group will be able to watch as well. I need Agents Coulson, Fitz, Trip, and Skye to come with me, please. You are all in the first group.”

“The list,” Skye said.

“It’ll be okay,” Coulson said. “Come on, Skye. We’ll be right there with you, just like a team should be.”

“Okay,” Skye said, closing her laptop with a click.

Ward went over to sit next to May and Simmons. “Does anyone else think that Eric’s hiding something?” he asked softly.

“Who isn’t right now?” Simmons asked in reply. “Think about it, Ward. HYDRA, the group that Captain America almost gave his life to defeat has been revealed to have been hiding in the very group he joined as soon as he woke up again. No one seems to know who they can trust and who they can’t, and that’s going to cause a lot of problems for SHIELD. That’s just what HYDRA wants to have happen. If SHIELD doesn’t trust itself then it won’t be able to present a unified front to fight HYDRA. Right now they have a huge advantage over us, and that’s ground that we’re never going to be able to get back.”

“We’ll get some of it back, kiddo,” Barton said, strolling back into the room, minus his sword. “Don’t forget that there are a lot of agents out there that believe in Director Fury and his vision for SHIELD. We’re the ones that are going to hold things together until we can find everyone else and bring them back to the fold.”

“How can you be so certain of that, Agent Barton?” Simmons asked. 

Barton grabbed a chair, spun it around and sat down facing the small group. “It’s simple. If we aren’t able to hold things together then HYRDA is going to win and everything we’ve ever done, every battle we’ve ever had to fight is going to be meaningless, and Director Fury and a lot of good people will have died for nothing. If you want to give up, stop believing in what you’re doing, then that’s your choice. None of us will pressure you to keep going.”

“Coulson won’t let any of us leave,” May said. “It’s too much of a risk.”

“Too much of a risk right now,” Barton said, looking up as the monitor came to life. He wasn’t surprised to find out that his husband was going first. Coulson would always lead by example, inspiring people to be better simply because they didn’t want to prove him wrong. “Once we’re through this test then things will be different. I think I know what Phil is thinking, and I’m all for it.”

“What do you know that we don’t?” May asked.

Barton turned and fixed his eyes on her. “I could ask you the same question, Mel,” he said softly. “But I’m not going to because I’m tired of hearing lies. Watch the test and see that the team you’re refusing to trust is still true.”  
*~*

When the first group was finished, Eric came out and took Hawkeye, May, Simmons, and Ward into the room. “Who is going to go first?” he asked, shutting the door behind them.

“I will,” Barton said, walking over to the machine. “Strap me in tight, Doctor, and do your worst.”

“Director Fury’s warning about you left a lot of information out, Agent Barton,” Eric said, starting to hook Barton to the machine. “Including that sword I saw you with earlier today.”

“Using that is an art that’s being lost,” Barton said. “It seems appropriate to face a giant snake with a sword, don’t you think?”

“I think that I’ll leave the direct fighting to you and the Black Widow,” Eric said. “Are you ready, Agent Barton.”

“Yep, hit me,” Barton said.  
*~*

In the canteen, Coulson was sitting in Barton’s still backwards chair, watching the monitor. He couldn’t help but smile at his husband’s antics and knew that Barton was attempting to lighten the mood a little. He didn’t think it was going to work, but it was a good effort all the same. He pulled out the Avengers phone and called Steve. “Cap, it’s Coulson.”

“Agent Coulson, how are the tests going?” Steve asked.

“As well as any of us expect,” Coulson replied with a small sigh. “What’s the situation out there, Captain?”

“HYRDA is striking back faster than we can counter them,” Steve said. “I’m doing my best to keep the fallout from the attacks as contained as possible, but I’m not Director Fury. My strength is leading men in battle, not trying to coordinate defenses across the whole planet.”

“I’ll be able to help you take that over in an hour,” Coulson said. “Do we have a team close to Portland? I’m curious about the unknown Stark spotted out there.”

“We managed to work out who it is and what his power is,” Steve said. “Marcus Daniels, and he can absorb any energy around him. The source doesn’t seem to matter, so any group that goes up against him will have to be very careful.”

“Daniels always was fixated on Audrey,” Coulson said with a small sigh. “I’m glad we got her out of there before he was able to attack her. I don’t want to think what would have happened if he’d gotten there first. What else do we have, Cap?”

“Right now, nothing else you can help with,” Steve said. “I know you’ve got your own problems there on the team, Coulson. Do you need help with that?”

“I’ll let you know,” Coulson said. “The Hawk is just finishing up his test, and I want to watch the rest of these. I’ll be in touch as soon as I have a team ready to move out to Portland. We’ll make an attempt to capture and contain Daniels before he can kill anyone.”

“Be careful, Coulson. Daniels has enough reasons to hate you already,” Steve said. “It’s possible he’s trying to lure you out.”

Coulson grinned. “I’m counting on it,” he said. “No one knows that I have the Hawk with me right now. Start sending me information on the other ops you’ve put in place, Steve. I need to know as much as possible about what’s happening with SHIELD right now.”

“Director Fury left instructions with JARVIS,” Steve said. “I’ll send those along, too. Be careful out there, Phil. We thought we lost you once. We can’t lose you for real. Not when we need you more than ever.”

“I’ll be careful, Steve,” Phil said. “I’m not going down again any time soon.”


	108. Chapter 108

“Agent Coulson, can I speak with you for a minute, please?” Eric asked from the doorway to the dinner area.

“Of course,” Coulson said. He pushed back out of the chair and walked over to the other agent. “Where’s the Hawk?”

“In the control room waiting for us,” Eric said. “I wanted to review the results of the test with you before you split your team to work on the problems facing SHIELD right now.”

Coulson nodded. “It’s not going to be much of a split, at least right now,” he said. “I’m going to take a couple of them with me to Portland and get Daniels recaptured before he kills anyone. Hey Clint.”

“Boss. What’s the good word?”

“That’s what Eric is about to tell us,” Coulson said, shutting the door behind them. “Eric, what did the tests show?”

“Ultimately everyone passed, but there’s one that worries me,” Eric said, sitting down in his chair. “That’s Agent Ward’s test. His baseline was abnormal and wouldn’t settle down. He said that it was probably because of his injuries, but there were spikes in there that I can’t explain away to those injuries, no matter how much I would like to.”

Coulson nodded. “I think that’s because he’s working to hide something from all of us,” he said. “Eric, see what you can find in the remains of the computers from the FRIDGE. I want to see if there’s any video left there, and I don’t want my team working on that.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but the damage is extensive,” Eric said. “What are you going to do about Agent Ward?”

“For now, leave him here with the others while I go to get things taken care of in Portland,” Coulson said. “Clint, as much as I want to take you with me, I need your eyes and ears here. Find a way to get and stay hidden so the team thinks that you’re with me. I’ve asked Cap to meet me in Portland, I’ll have him with me, but I need you here.”

“How ‘bout it, Eric? You got anywhere I can hide out and still hear and see everything?” Barton asked. “This is why I like vent networks. They’re easy to use to hide out.”

“There are some maintenance halls, but they’re not made for humans to use,” Eric said. He stood up and went to a recessed area in one of the walls. “Here, take a look. These run throughout the base.”

Barton moved into the small doorway and looked to his left. “That is narrow,” he said. “Well, only one way to find out, and I’ve certainly been in tighter areas than this.”

“The vents in Miami come to mind,” Coulson said fondly. “Can you do it, Clint?”

“Yeah, these will work,” he said. “Now we just have to make sure the team sees me go out to the jet you guys are taking and they don’t realize I’ve come back in here. Who are you taking with you?”

“Trip and FitzSimmons,” Coulson said. “I don’t trust Ward or May on this Op, and I need Skye here to work on the computers for as long as possible. I’m sure that Cap will be bringing someone along to help out, so I’ll be fine.”

“Agent Trip is cleared on that type of jet, so he can fly you guys out there,” Barton said with a nod. “You’re leaving the Bus here?”

“For now, yes. If you need to, Clint, take Skye and run. We can always find May and Ward again, but you guys only have one life. Keep it safe.”

Barton nodded and pulled Coulson in for a hug. “You too, Phil,” he whispered. “There’s still a lot we don’t know about what’s happened and I need you to come back to me. We’ll go to the hideaway if we have to run. Find us there.”

“I will,” Coulson said. “Eric, you need to be careful of the people I’m leaving behind. Clint will be here, but he might not be able to get to you quickly. Work with Skye to get into as many records as you guys can.”

“Will do, Agent Coulson,” Eric said. “Is there anything else I can do to help you out with this?”

“I’m sure there will be, but right now, just get me those records,” Coulson said. “Come on, Clint, let’s go get me outfitted for this Op.”  
*~*

“Coulson, what are you doing?” May demanded, walking into the weapons area. “It’s suicide to split the team right now.”

“I don’t need the full team for a routine recapture,” Coulson said. “I’ll have Trip and the Hawk with me. That’s more than enough for the mission peramiters.”

“You are making this personal, Phil,” May said. “Those tests this morning proved my loyalty.”

“To SHIELD and Director Fury,” Coulson said. “I know there’s still things you know about TAHITI that you aren’t telling me, things that I have every right to know because they were done to me against my will.”

“Director Fury swore me to silence,” May said.

Coulson snorted. “And that’s why you’re staying here,” he said. “You’ve been lying to me since we went on our first mission and you haven’t stopped. I understand and support loyalty to both Fury and SHIELD, but I can’t overlook the lies, May.”

“There’s things you’ve never told me.”

“Anything I never told you was none of your damn business,” Coulson snapped. “Thanks, Clint. TAHITI was done to me. On my body against my will. I was tortured and begged for death. I wanted to die and no one listened to me. I have every right to know everything that happened to me so I can sleep at night without worrying about some woman coming in and sucking out my soul. When you start messing around with aliens and gods and who knows what the hell else, then there’s no way to know how long it will last and what the side effects are going to be. For all I know, I could drop dead tomorrow and revive as some sort of robot.”

“I thought you did that years ago, Sir,” Barton said. He handed over a belt with two knives on it. “You remember, right after you took over basic report writing for those new to SHIELD. I know I heard people saying that you were a robot that adored paperwork too much to be human.”

Coulson couldn’t help but smile. “Hush, you,” he said. “The point stands, May, that you can either follow my orders or you can leave. There are no other options available to you anymore. Hawkeye, with me.”


	109. Chapter 109

Barton kissed Coulson good-bye in the jet and snuck off, hiding out in the brush near the entrance while the jet took off. While he knew that Coulson would be safe with Steve, Barton couldn’t not admit that he would rather be at his husband’s back in the field. With a small sigh, he made his way back into the hidden base and down to the control room where Eric was working on the computer. “They’re away.”

“Do you think we’re safe here, Agent Barton?”

“As safe as we can be, given everything that’s going on,” Barton said. “We know we’ve got a snake locked in here with us, so we know to be careful of him. I’m going to get into the service area, but I’ll be sure to stay close. Holler if you need help.”

“I will. Be careful, Agent Barton. HYDRA isn’t to be underestimated.”

“Agreed,” Barton said. He squeezed into the small area and shut the door behind him. It wasn’t the smallest place he’d ever had to work, but it was close. Fortunately there were open areas near every room where tools and other supplies could be left off. He’d be able to get into those to work without anyone knowing he was there.

Keeping one ear on the conversation Eric and Skye were having about the FRIDGE and how they could find out what really happened there, Barton pulled out his Avengers’ phone and sent a text off to JARVIS.

• J, any chance you can hack into the FRIDGE’s network and see what can be rebuilt from their system?

• I will do my best, Clint, but it will take some time. Do you have no one else that is able to work on this project?

• Just one, and he’s tied up helping with another project right now. I’m worried about how things are going to play out here, J. I don’t like that we’re locked away with one of the snakes.

• Are you completely alone there, Clint?

• Alone enough. Skye can’t fight and I don’t trust Mel enough to let her fight at my back. Phil’s off on another mission, one that has to be finished up as quickly as possible. Ward’s going to make his strike soon, J, and I don’t know who his target is going to be.

• Is there any way for us to figure it out?

• There might be. He’s fixated on a thumb drive that he brought in with him. I guess there’s more encrypted information on there than I realized, and he needs Skye to open it up. Ward claims it’s to back the information up, but I don’t see any good reason for us to back that information up. Anything we can keep off the networks is information that HYDRA won’t be able to get a hold of.

• That is probably the reason he wishes it to be backed up. We both have suspected Agent Ward of being an enemy, of being HYRDA, and nothing Mr. Stark and I have turned up have shown that there is any reason to suspect that he is not. I believe it safest to believe that he is working for another master.

• Ward claims that he killed Garrett at the FRIDGE. I don’t believe it. Until Phil and I can see a body, we don’t trust that anyone is dead. We’ve had too many enemies come back to life on us to believe the word of another agent. So let’s say that Ward is still working for Garrett and they need the information off the hard drive that Ward brought back with him. How’s he going to play this, J?

• The easiest way would simply be to kidnap young Skye and force her to open the files for him. 

• And she’s trusting enough that she would go along with him. Great, just what I need. More trouble. J, pass all of this along to Steve, please, and tell him to share it with Phil when they meet up. I’m going to do my best to keep everyone alive, but if Ward is able to get Skye out of here, there might not be much I can do.

• There is one thing you can do, Clint.

• What’s that?

• Go to the Bus now and be waiting. My records state that the hard drive Ward is so interested in has to be opened by a specific person at a specific location. The only way for them to get there would be on the Bus, because Ward will not risk requesting another plane in. It would look too unusual to the others.

• I’d be abandoning Eric to death, J.

• One life against the lives of many, Clint. I know you have had to make this decision many times in the past. Are you able to make it again?

• Yeah, I am. Tell Steve that I’ll be on the Bus. Thanks, J. Keep working on those files for me. I want to know what happened at the FRIDGE. I want proof that Garrett is still alive and Ward is going back to him.

• Of course, Clint. I will contact you as soon as I have made any progress in this endeavor. Mr. Stark wishes me to tell you good luck, to be careful, and that Miss Audrey is safe with us.

• Thanks, J. Talk to you later.

 

Barton tucked his phone away and looked back into the control room one last time. JARVIS was right, it wasn’t the first time he’d abandoned a man to his death, but it never got easy. Eric was a good person and he didn’t deserve death. With a silent apology to those in the room, Barton slipped off down the corridors towards the escape hatch he’d spotted on his initial recon.

He made his way through the trees to the Bus, being careful to keep off the path so no one would be able to spot his tracks in the snow, and finally climbed up and into the Bus through another entrance that only he knew about. Barton looked around the Bus for a minute and then headed for the stairs. There were supplies up in Coulson’s office that no one knew about and he’d be able to take them up into the vent network with him. Maybe he would be able to put an arrow through Ward’s eye once he knew where Garrett was. It would certainly make him feel better about everything.


	110. Chapter 110

“The Bus is gone,” Simmons said as Trip was bringing their plane in to land. “Where did they go?”

“I don’t know,” Coulson said, lying. He’d gotten the message from JARVIS that Barton was going to hide on the Bus so he would be along when Skye was kidnapped by Ward. “Let’s go see if there’s anyone in the base before we panic. The Hawk and I have a pre-arranged meet-up if they had to run.”

“Sir, what’s going on?” Simmons asked. “How did it all come to this?”

Coulson patted her shoulder and headed down the ramp. “It came to this when a terrorist group hiding within our ranks decided it was time to make themselves known again,” he said back over his shoulder. “Cap, I could use you with me.”

“Right with you,” Steve said, hurrying to Coulson’s side. “You think the Hawk is in the wind, Phil?”

“I think that he’s where he needs to be,” Coulson said quietly. “I’m worried about Eric.”

“Trip, keep everyone together while we explore,” Steve said. “We’re not sure what all is going on.”

“Captain, we’re all SHIELD agents,” Fitz said. “We should be allowed to help you search.”

Steve sighed and turned back to the group. “You have a point, Fitz, and I’m not saying you’re not good agents, but you’re part of a team,” he said. “A team is made up of people with different strengths to make the whole stronger. Like the Avengers, we all have different areas that we’re stronger in and that makes us a better team. Here, your team, you and Simmons are the scientists. The ones that understand the why behind everything happening. You both need more training time before you’ll be able to fight an agent at Ward’s level. We’re keeping you together for safety because we know we’ve got a rogue agent associated with the team, and we don’t know where he is.”

“There’s no way that Ward is a member of HYDRA,” Fitz snapped. “He passed the test just like the rest of us.”

“All right, come on then,” Coulson said with a sigh. He was too tired to argue with the team. “But if we say to get back, you get back.”

“I’ll make sure they’re safe,” Trip said.

“Thanks,” Steve said, turned back towards the hallway. “Coulson, what do you think we’re going to find here?”

“At least one body, but I don’t know about the others,” Coulson said. He pushed open the door to the control room and found it empty, noting that the service door was closed as well. “It’s possible that something happened we can’t guess at and someone ran.”

“There’s not many people here that would be able to fly the Bus,” Steve said. “Hang on, there’s blood here.”

Coulson nodded and stepped to the other side, gun in hand. “Ward and the Hawk, although Ward doesn’t know as much about the Bus as Hawkeye does,” he said. He stepped into the room when Steve pushed the door open and took in everything around him. “It’s Eric.”

“Damn,” Steve said, looking up as well. “I’d hoped that he would still be alive when we got back. This isn’t the Hawk’s work.”

“Too messy,” Coulson agreed. “Guys, stay in the hallway. We need space to get Eric down. Simmons, go and get ready to do an autopsy. I want to know exactly what happened to Eric.”

“We’ll meet you back at the control room,” Trip said, turning FitzSimmons back down the hallway.

“You knew about this,” Steve said softly when they were alone.

“I did,” Coulson said with a sigh. “JARVIS sent me a message just before we met you in Portland. Clint was worried that Ward would get out of here with information we need to keep from HYDRA, so he made the tough call to go and wait on the Bus rather than staying here.”

Steve sighed. “So the Hawk is in the wind right now, but he’s with Ward and Skye at the least,” he said. “What about Agent May?”

“No idea, we’ll have to check the cameras to see what happened there,” Coulson said. He took Eric’s feet and help Steve carry him back towards the front part of the base. “Although, even with May lying to me about Tahiti and everything that happened to me, I don’t see her as a member of HYDRA.”

“Do you think she’s out working her own lines and she’ll be back when she has something for us?” Steve asked.

“I think that’s the most likely answer, yes,” Coulson said. “Simmons, here he is. I need to know how tall his killer is, please.”

“Yes, Sir,” Simmons said.

“It wasn’t Ward,” Fitz said. “I keep telling you that he’s not HYDRA. How many times has he saved our lives?”

“I’ll talk to him, Phil,” Steve said. “Come on, Fitz. Come take a walk with me.”

Coulson sighed and pulled out his Avengers phone. “JARVIS, it’s me. Is Tony in his lab?”

“Of course, Sir, one moment,” JARVIS said. “I have no other messages for you, Agent Coulson. The Hawk has not made contact.”

“Thanks, JARVIS.”

“Agent, what’s up?” Tony asked.

“I need your hacking abilities, Stark,” Coulson replied with a sigh. “My team is shattered and I need someone that I can trust to get me the videos I need right now.”

“Lay it on me, Agent,” Tony said. “What do you need to see?”

“Anything relating to HYDRA from the news,” Coulson said. “From government databases, hell, from the internet if you guys can manage to par that down to something manageable for me. I want to know what message they’re putting out there that suddenly has everyone supporting them like they are. SHIELD has been marked as terrorist because of HYDRA, but we can’t let that stop us doing what we can to take back our role in the world.”

“Got it. Anything else you’d like me to help out with?”

Coulson sighed. “See if JARVIS can track down the Bus for me,” he said. “Eric is dead and we’re working to figure out what happened here, but the Bus is gone and so is the Hawk. I need to know if he went to his safehouse or if he’s with Ward.”

Tony laughed. “I’m positive he’s with Ward because Birdy is going to want to end that threat as fast as he can,” he said. “I’ll find you the Bus, Coulson, and you can go help Barton do what he needs to do. He never did like Ward, did he?”

“No, he didn’t, but he’s not going to kill in cold blood,” Coulson said. “At least not right now. He knows that we need answers first.”

“How many pieces can he cut a man into?” Tony asked.

“Enough that he will answer any question put to him,” Coulson replied. “Yesterday on the information, please, Tony.”

“Yeah, yeah, slavedriver, I’m on it,” Tony said.


End file.
